China urges India to resolve ICMR test kits issues reasonably

Underlining its solidarity with India in the fight against the COVID-19 epidemic, China has expressed “deep concern” at the unfair labeling of the COVID-19 test-kits as faulty by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and urged it not to look at issues with “preemptive prejudice”.“We are deeply concerned with the evaluation results and the decision made by the Indian Council of Medical Research. China attaches great importance to the quality of exported medical products,” Ji Rong, the spokesperson and Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in India, said.

“The quality of medical products exported from China is prioritized. It is unfair and irresponsible for certain individuals to label Chinese products as ‘faulty’ and look at issues with preemptive prejudice,” said Mrs Ji.Invoking mutual goodwill between the two countries, the Chinese diplomat urged the Indian side to “respect China’s goodwill and sincerity, strengthen timely communication with relevant Chinese companies based on facts, and resolve it reasonably, and properly.”

The ICMR has asked the states to stop using these kits after the test results showed a wide variation in their sensitivity despite the early promise of reliable performance. The kits were supplied by China’s Guangzhou Wondfo Biotech and Zhuhai Livzon Diagnostics. They both stressed that their antibody rapid test kits meet the quality standards of China and the exported countries, and have also been approved by ICMR through National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune.

Mrs Ji rejected ICMR’s analysis stressing that these items were evaluated for quality by the National Medical Products Administration of China (NMPA) before shipping them to India. These kits produced by these two Chinese companies have been well-recognized and exported to many countries in Europe, Asia, and Latin America, she said.“We have also learned that there are strict requirements for the storage, transportation, and use of COVID-19 antibody rapid test kits. Any operation, which is not carried out by professionals in accordance with the product specifications, will lead to the testing accuracy variations.

“ICMR also made it clear that rapid antibody test kits should only be used for surveillance purposes instead of replacing RT-PCR test to diagnose and confirm the cases, and states are advised to strictly abide by the methods and purpose of the usage according to ICMR’s clear instructions,” the spokesperson said in a statement.Many countries are currently purchasing medical products from China. “While satisfying domestic demands, we support companies having credibility exporting medical equipment to other countries including India. Chinese manufacturers have been working around the clock to provide supplies to help fight the epidemic in other countries,” she said.

“Since the outbreak of the epidemic, China and India have maintained close communication and cooperation on epidemic prevention and control. To help India fight the epidemic, China has shared its experiences and donated medical materials. We will continue to support India’s efforts in fighting Covid-19,” she added.

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