BEIJING, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) - China will ban hog and boar imports from the Republic of Korea (ROK) as the neighboring country reported African swine fever cases, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said Thursday.

South Korean quarantine officials set a barricade on a road to block people from entering in an area where pigs were confirmed to have been infected with African swine fever in Paju on September 17, 2019. (Photo: AFP)

China will intensify quarantine checks on packages sent from ROK and passenger baggage. Once hog-related products are detected, the packages and baggage will be sent back or destroyed, according to a statement on the GAC's website.

If hogs, boars or related products from ROK are identified on any vehicles in China, they should be sealed off and will not be released without GAC's permission, the statement added.

Pork prices in China hit record levels following an epidemic of African swine fever that has cut domestic pig production, pushing up demand for pork imports.

In a bid to secure meat supplies, China released 10,000 tonnes of pork from state reserves on Thursday, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The country also released 2,400 tonnes of beef and 1,900 tonnes of mutton from state reserves earlier this month. 

Pork prices in China hit record levels following an epidemic of African swine fever that has cut domestic pig production, pushing up demand for pork imports.

In a bid to secure meat supplies, China released 10,000 tonnes of pork from state reserves on Thursday, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The country also released 2,400 tonnes of beef and 1,900 tonnes of mutton from state reserves earlier this month.