The national-level imported liquor testing center in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, will play an important role in safeguarding liquor safety, provincial food and drug administration officials said on Thursday.

The National Product Quality Supervision and Inspection Center of Brandy, Whisky, Vodka and Wine was officially set up in December, although Guangdong Liquor Testing Center, from which the new test site developed, has been offering such testing services since it was founded in 2000, said Zhu Sixu, director of the newcenter.

The new agency is the only one in the country specializing in foreign alcohol, with eight other national liquor testing centers focusing on Chinese liquor or beer.