BEIJING - China will keep its iron-handed policy in combating fake drugs in the upcoming year, the country's drug watchdog said Tuesday.

Shao Mingli, head of the State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA), made the remarks at a national conference on the supervision and management of drugs and food.

Shao said drug watchdogs at different levels will coordinate with related government organs to make joint efforts to combat counterfeiting and supervise the investigation of major cases with significant social ramifications, adding that enterprises involved will be punished severely.

China launched a two-year special campaign for drug safety from July 2009 to July 2011, during which authorities investigated more than 42,000 cases and shut down 1,093 illegal websites.

Shao said that fake drug related crimes are showing some new characteristics, as the Internet and mailings are used in marketing, and high technology measures have increasingly been employed in manufacturing.

The SFDA will regulate drug-related online information and transactions, and establish a monitoring network covering all the prefectures of the country, Shao added.

Shao also said the SFDA will launch a special campaign to crack down on illegal additives in health-promotion food, cosmetics, and food used in the catering sector.