Yan Jiangying, spokeswoman for the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), told Xinhua News Agency that only those sites with an SFDA license can sell over-the-counter drugs to individuals.

Pork Ban Enacted

China has ordered a ban on imports of Irish pork products and animal feed after Ireland announced on December 6 that its pork products could be tainted with dioxin, a chemical derived from petroleum and believed to be harmful to humans.

The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) also urged local entry-exit inspection and quarantine inspectors to recall and return pork products already in China if they were produced in Ireland after September 1.

The ban took effect on December 8. The AQSIQ did not specify how long it would be in effect.

Tourism Aid

The China National Tourism Administration (CNTA) will return 50-70 percent of the deposits it has collected from travel agencies by the end of next January, according to a report in China Daily on December 9.

The CNTA requires the fees to compensate tourists who suffer losses or have accidents during trips when travel agencies are at fault.

The move was intended to help travel agencies survive the ongoing financial storm that has led to steep declines in the number of tourists.

China's inbound travel firms have been required to deposit up to 100,000 yuan ($14,577) with the CNTA, while outbound agencies must deposit 1.6 million yuan ($233,236).