Politics in play as Senate considers pork merger

At a recent US Senate hearing on the proposed acquisition of local pork processor Smithfield Foods Inc by a Chinese company, the deal's impact on intellectual property rights was one of the greatest concerns, according to a report from Beijing Times.

Held by an agricultural committee, the hearing also focused on safety and US food security.

A leading Chinese meat processor in terms of output, Shuanghui International Holdings Ltd agreed to buy Smithfield for about $7.1 billion, absorbing $2.4 billion of the company's debt. If approved, it would be the largest single Chinese investment in the United States to date.