A Chinese spokesman said on Thursday that China knows U.S. concern on beef export and hopes experts from the two sides can find an solution as soon as possible.

China noticed that the World Organization for Animal Health ( OIE) has given the United States a new "controlled risk" status for mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao in a press briefing.

"We always respect the decisions made by the OIE, but China has its own national conditions," said the diplomat. "We believe that the mad cow issue is very sensitive and expect the experts from the two sides can discuss the issue and find a solution as soon as possible."

He also said this second meeting of U.S.-China Strategic Economic Dialogue, which was concluded on Wednesday, has strengthened mutual understanding and trust between the two countries.

The OIE, a Paris-based standards body, adopted a resolution on Wednesday recommending that the United States, Canada, Switzerland, Chile and Brazil be recognized as having "controlled" risk status for mad cow disease.

Shortly after the OIE ruling, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns urged U.S. trading partners to reopen export markets to the full spectrum of U.S. cattle and beef products.

Found in dozens of countries, the fatal brain wasting disease is spread by prions -- abnormally shaped proteins that originate as regular components of neurological tissues in animals.

Health officials said the disease spreads through components of cattle feed such as meat and bone meal that contain protein from BSE-infected animals.

China, along with many other countries, began restricting beef imports from the U.S. after the deadly disease was discovered in the country in December 2003.

Source: Xinhua