China to Monitor Food Imported from Japan for Radiation

China's quality watchdog said Monday it has asked local authorities to monitor food imported from Japan for radiation following the nuclear disaster at its Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant .

Local quality watchdogs should test food from Japan for radiation to ensure the safety of China's food imports, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said.

In 2010, bilateral trade between China and Japan reached US$303.06 billion, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce.

China imported US$593 million worth of agricultural products from Japan last year, accounting for 0.33 percent of Japan's total exports to China.

The country had been Japan's biggest trading partner and export destination as of the end of last year.

The massive earthquake that struck Japan's northeast coast on March 11damaged the country's nuclear power plants and killed thousands of people.