Guangzhou, the provincial capital of Guangdong province, plans to invest 1.1 billion yuan ($176 million) to help build "a city of safe food and medicine" in three years, Guangzhou Daily reported.

Yao Jianming, director of Guangzhou Food and Drug Administration, said the money will be used to build three food examination areas and improve eight food supply systems to ensure only safe food is supplied in the southern city.

"Guangzhou will establish food safety responsibilities and assessment mechanisms to help improve public satisfaction with food safety," Yao said.

The city's Yuexiu and Panyu districts have been selected as two pilot areas for the food safety supervisory system, he said.

Meanwhile, relevant departments will make every effort to combat the production of fake medicines, and prevent them being distributed in the city, Yao said.

More inspection campaigns will be launched to prevent such medicines from entering the city, he added.