(Yicai Global) July 1 -- China, the world's largest vaccine production market, will toughen punishments for substandard vaccine makers from Dec. 1 to raise the quality of drugs and reach an international standard in the sector. 

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress has passed a new law that will force companies that make or sell fake vaccines to fork out of 15 to 50 times the value of their illicit products, while their agents would be 10 to 30 times out of pocket, the nation's top legislature told Yicai Global.

China is seeking to make the sector more transparent and improve the tracking of medicines to avert more scandals. A case last year involved hundreds of thousands of fake rabies vaccines and forged production data. The tighter rules may also spur Chinese companies, which have so far sold little abroad, to push overseas sales.

Four vaccines have already passed the pre-certification stage to be exported to over 10 countries and regions, Jiao Hong, the head of China's National Medical Products Administration, told Yicai Global. Another 20 applications have been submitted, he said.

The new law, which unifies many previous ones, will cover the whole process from vaccine development, production and distribution, to inoculation. The nation will form specialized teams to inspect production units whose pharmaceutical production licenses may be revoked. 

Editor: Emmi Laine