China vows to investigate Wada dope trade claims

China will investigate claims that virtually all the raw materials used to produce illegal performance-enhancing drugs come from the country, even if there are serious reservations about their accuracy, according to state media.

World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) director general David Howman said in an interview last week that "99 per cent" of the materials used by criminal gangs around the world to make the drugs emanated from China.

"We are shocked at Mr. Howman's comment," Jiang Zhixue, the head of anti-doping at the sports ministry, told Xinhua.

"We are wondering where this 99 per cent came from and what is his evidence. We have asked for a more detailed explanation from Wada."

Jiang said the investigation would require co-ordination from various ministries as had happened in a crackdown on the manufacture and sale of banned performance-enhancing substances in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics.

China remains the "major source of supply" for illegal performance-enhancing drugs, according to Howman, whose comments were later backed up Wada president John Fahey.

Fahey said progress had been made with Beijing authorities but that more needed to be done.

"On numerous occasions we've made representations to Chinada [China's anti-doping agency]," Fahey said. "I've had discussions with the sports minister and I'm conscious of certain action being taken.

"We've certainly asked for their co-operation and we are conscious of many suppliers being shut down. That's not to say it still isn't the major source of supply - we know it is."

The mainland's record on doping at elite levels of sport improved markedly after Beijing won the right to hold the 2008 Games.