The agreement was signed in Beijing by the German agriculture minister Gerd Meuller and the director of the Chinese quality control and inspection and quarantine office, Wei Chuanzhong.

Dr Meuller said: "I am very pleased with the agreement.

"We had some very constructive discussions. Today's signing is a basic model for further negotiations for opening up the Chinese market." The aim of the agreement is to have a high degree of exchange and cooperation between the two countries over veterinary and phytosanitary issues.

Veterinary laboratories in both countries have agreed to exchange information on tests for different dangerous organisms. Dr Meuller said that by reducing the barriers between the two countries, the possibilities arose to open up the Chinese market for pig meat exports.

However, he said that this agreement had come about in the face of growing international trade and cooperation over food safety issues and continuing improvements in global animal and plant health issues.

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