A special unit will be set up under the Hong Kong-Guangdong Cooperation Joint Conference to ensure the safety of food imported to the SAR, Chief Executive (CE) Donald Tsang said in Beijing yesterday.

On the second day of his duty visit to the capital, Tsang said the central government was highly concerned over food safety.

The CE met State General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) Director Li Chuanqing to discuss the problem. The meeting assumes significance because some eggs and fish supplied by mainland companies to Homg Kong recently were found to contain cancer-causing chemicals.

Tsang said AQSIQ would post experts to the unit to lead the inspection and quarantine work. AQSIQ has already asked Guangdong authorities to step up quarantine procedures during festive seasons to ensure stable and safe food supply to Hong Kong.

"The Guangdong authorities will step up quarantine work during the New Year and Lunar New Year holidays to ensure a stable and safe food supply to Hong Kong and allow its residents to enjoy the festivals," he said.

The notification system on food safety between the two places was functioning well, and the government will amend the law to grant the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department the power to ban wholesalers and retailers who sell contaminated food.

Also, Radio Frequency Identification system will be used to trace the source of contaminated food.

Li said the central government was very concerned over food safety and would cooperate with the SAR.

Tsang discussed the problem of pregnant mainland women using Hong Kong public hospital maternity services with the Ministry of Public Security. The ministry has assured the CE that it would cooperate with Hong Kong to tackle the problem.

An inter-departmental meeting, headed by Chief Secretary for Administration Rafael Hui, has already been set up to find a solution to the problem by tightening immigration regulations.

Tsang promised that Hong Kong women would be given priority in labour cases. "We will allocate necessary resources to local women. The Hospital Authority has already done that."

"If we need extra beds, we will use our resources (to get them). If we need a new hospital, we will have it built. We will also provide more doctors and nurses," he said.

Tsang met Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai, too, and informed him that the Hong Kong stock market's operations were stable.

Bo praised Hong Kong for its positive economic development, the good performances of its stock and consumer markets and for organizing many major events, and hoped that the trend would continue.

Tsang will meet President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao today before rounding up his duty visit.

Editor: Yan