BEIJING — China will encourage companies to expand the production of medical supplies to help the global fight against the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) while ensuring the quality of these exports, the Ministry of Commerce said on March 30.

The ministry said investigations will be carried out into any cases with potential quality issues, and vowed zero tolerance on such issues.

The ministry, together with the General Administration of Customs and the National Medical Products Administration, will issue an announcement requiring that exported medical supplies must obtain relevant qualifications and meet the quality standards of the importing country or region, it said.