BEIJING ~ President Hu Jintao said this week that China would step up efforts to improve food safety and prevent the spread of animal diseases, in a speech opening the Communist Party’s five-yearly Congress.

“We will intensify efforts to prevent animal and plant epidemic diseases and improve the quality and safety of agricultural products,” Hu said.

Later in the speech, he said: “We must ensure food and drug safety.” China has struggled to stamp out livestock disease outbreaks in recent years, including bird flu and a pig disease that has sparked a major pig cull. It also has been embarrassed by a string of scandals involving unsafe food and other export products this year.