WADA hail "significant agreement" after signing deal with China to clamp-down on production of doping products

WADA has signed an agreement with the General Administration of Sport of China to tackle the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs ©Getty Images

A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC) with the aim of helping to track and eliminate the illegal manufacture and supply of Performance-Enhancing Drugs (PEDs).

It is claimed this marks a "significant breakthrough" in the joint law enforcement-anti-doping effort to clamp down on illegal production of PEDs in China, which are then exported to the outside world.

WADA have long maintained how a high percentage of illegal products are produced in China before travelling elsewhere.

Under the agreement, WADA and INTERPOL will provide information to Chinese law enforcement organisations so that illegal manufacturers and suppliers can be targeted and dismantled.

It will act as a catalyst to spur law enforcement agencies in other countries to investigate and arrest illegal buyers of PEDs based on intelligence received from China, it is hoped, as well as enabling worldwide anti-doping authorities to use this same information to investigate violations.

WADA director general David Howman has been among those to praise the partnership ©Getty Images

“WADA is pleased to be partnering with GASC to eliminate the illegal manufacture and supply of PEDs,” said the body's director general, David Howman.

“There have been great strides made in recent years by Government agencies and law enforcement in shutting down large scale doping rings.

“This progress, in large part due to the relationship that the anti-doping community has forged with these key allies, has helped prevent doping substances from reaching the hands of athletes."

As part of the project, the Chinese sports body has developed formal links with other bodies in the world's most populous nation, including the police, customs, Food and Drug Administration and the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency.

The World Customs Organisation, like INTERPOL a formal partner with WADA, will also play a role.

The project follows Operation Cyber Juice, a recent United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) investigation which led to a large volume of doping products being seized, much of which was obtained via the internet from Chinese chemical manufacturing companies and laboratories.

Last year China also became the first country to formally announce its contribution to a fund for new anti-doping research, with vice-premier Liu Yandong saying how the nation would contribute $1 million (£610,000/€770,000).