Comparative Study On Sino-us Governmental Responsibilities In Food Safety Legislation And Practice

Humans are facing all kinds of new challenges in the 21st century and Food Safety Issue has become a social problem shared by both developed and developing countries. In this article, the author compares the Chinese Food Safety System with the American one, finds out the gap of Food Safety Law between China and the developed countries and the existing problems, and further provides a proper solution for China's legislation in Food Safety Field and other administrative works.Ⅰ. The present situations and historical developments of Sino-U.S. Food Safety issue are introduced, and the common challenges in Food Safety field in the two nations are pointed out. The United States, after all, is more mature in democracy and law system. The United States has been constructing her Food Safety System for almost 100 years. It is true that the U.S. is facing some new challenges as well, however, China should learn from its experience when dealing with Food Safety Problems and determinating the governments'responsibilities. In this way, China could avoid to make unnecessary mistakes when dealing with similar problems. The new challenges that the U.S. is facing now also have vigilant effects to China. China should learn from American's lessons, and to solve the potential problems in advance. The author offers a deep analysis of why the Chinese governments have little sense of responsibility from the perspective of Food Safety field. The long-lasting obligation-oriented ideology has weakened the governments'awareness of taking responsibilities, and it is also the very reason why the citizens are not quite aware of their rights. But, this can never become the excuse of the governments'lack of responsibilities. In order to build China to be a country under the rule of law and to wake up the citizen's awareness of their rights, we should build responsibility-and-service-oriented governments first.Ⅱ. From the basic principles of the governments'responsibility, the author discusses how to build an eligible and responsible government, and how to satisfy the civil society's requirements to social administration. Also, the author, from legislation and administration, analyzes the forms of the governments'responsibilities and the relationship between the government's responsibilities and the Food Safety problems, and creatively points out a theory called The Three Stages of Food Safety. The governments should take according measures and responsibilities when Food Safety problems take place. This is beneficial to the legislation and administration. Lastly, the author compares China's Food Safety System with the American one, and points out the poor performance of the Chinese governments when taking their responsibilities.Ⅲ.The author discusses the political and economic significance of Food Safety Issue. To link together Chinese actual situation and economic cost,it is more practical to construct a feasible system than just emphasize overall reform.By comparing the Food Safety Systems in China and U.S., the author offers some feasible suggestions, and hopes that those suggestions can offer some help in the construction of Food Safety System and Responsibility-oriented Governments. The most important issue is to aware the whole society with the ideology of rule-of-law, to strengthen the legislation from the bottom to the top, and to create new ways for the legislation. Also, China should learn, reform and construct in her weak areas like Food Tracing System, Food Safety Alert System and so on, so as to creat a better life for her citizens.By analyzing the Food Safety Issue, this article points out why the governments could not take their due responsibilities both in legislation and administration, offers some helpful ideas on how to build efficient and responsible governments, and provides American's experiences for reference.