BEIJING (AP)—China is pushing an anti-doping image seven weeks ahead of the Beijing Olympics.

China is one of the world’s largest manufacturers and suppliers of anabolic steroids and human growth hormone. However, a top Chinese drug control official said Wednesday about 150 producers, wholesalers and retailers were recently ordered to stop illegal production and distribution of performance-enhancing drugs.

Wu Zhen, deputy commissioner of the State Food and Drug Administration, said China began its crackdown a year ago and stepped up its effort in the last few months.

China had been criticized for lax drug testing. But in the last year, the country has been praised by WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency, for getting tougher.

“So why are we so aggressive now?” Wu said. “Because we want to honor our commitment to deliver a fair and clean Olympics.

“The newly adopted measures are more aggressive and are intended to make sure that before or during the Olympics such prohibited substances cannot be purchased. That why’s we’ve been aggressive. Is it late? No, I don’ t think it’s ever too late to take action.”

Wu also said that 321 Web sites believed to be operating illegally in drug distribution had “been analyzed and dealt with.” He did not offer more information about the Web sites.

Officials of the new China Anti-Doping Agency have said it’s more important to avoid a positive test by a Chinese athlete than for China to win gold medals. A positive test would be a blow to the image China’s communist government is trying to create with the Olympics.

China and the United States are expected to fight for the top spot in the gold-medal count.

John Fahey, the head of WADA, had said he was impressed by China’s crackdown. He also lauded the new Beijing laboratory, which will conduct 4,500 tests for banned substances during the Olympics. That’s 25 percent more than at the 2004 Athens Games.

“The Chinese government has been more aggressive on anti-doping especially since the second half of 2007,” Wu said. “We established a task force, we mounted a campaign and severely punished the violators so there will be no noncompliance.”

“I am appealing to all countries in the world to support our work,” he said. “This is an international challenge. We want to work with all countries of the world to have a sound and clean Olympics.”

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