BEIJING -- Chinese Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing on Wednesday emphasized the need to strengthen food safety supervision and to impose harsh penalties on related illegal activities.

Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at the main event of the 2024 national food safety awareness activity held in Beijing.

He underscored the importance of continuously improving food safety standards to better meet the public's aspirations for a high-quality life.

To achieve this goal, he highlighted the necessity to prevent risks at the source and to further improve the standards system. He also called for focusing on major issues of public concern, responding swiftly, and imposing heavy penalties.

Moreover, Zhang called for stringent risk control measures and expedited efforts to establish a robust food safety traceability system.

He underscored the importance of punishing violations severely, urging rigorous legal actions against food safety crimes and significantly increasing the costs levied toward illegal behavior.