Top leader vows to stop chemical plants from making drugs

China's Vice Premier Wu Yi has announced that Chinese authorities will inspect chemical plants throughout the country to make sure they are not producing pharmaceutical ingredients without authorization. She made the announcement while leading a delegation inspecting a toy factory and other plants in the southern province of Guangdong.

Wu Yi said chemical plants producing pharmaceuticals without proper government clearance have been posing a public health risk. In the past year, the reputation of China's manufacturing sector has been tarnished by a series of scandals. Cough syrup made with counterfeit ingredients from China killed dozens of people in Panama a year ago. Last month, a toy made in China and sold in the U.S. was recalled after a researcher in an Australian hospital discovered it contained toxic 1,4-butanediol.

Meanwhile, FDA is being pressured to improve its inspections of Chinese pharmaceutical plants that supply the U.S. market.