Hong Kong on Wednesday announced suspension of poultry and poultry meat imports from Sichuan province in view of a confirmed H5N1 avian influenza outbreak in the area.

A spokesman for the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau (HWFB) announced that the government had suspended the processing of applications for the importation of poultry and poultry meat from the province after the notification from the Ministry of Agriculture.

He assured that so far there were no poultry imports from Sichuan province, but he added, "Should there be any such applications, they will not be processed for the time being to ensure food safety."

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2006)