CHINA executed the former head of its food and drug watchdog yesterday for approving untested medicine in exchange for cash, the strongest signal yet from Beijing that it is serious about tackling its product safety crisis.

China today executed the former head of its food and drug watchdog who had become a symbol of the country’s wide-ranging problems on product safety.

CHINA sentenced the former head of its food and drug watchdog to death yesterday on corruption charges, for accepting bribes in return for granting approvals for hundreds of medicines.

China has approved human trials of an experimental SARS vaccine, and 30 people have already volunteered to be the first test subjects.