Beijing must take stronger anti-smoking stance: WHO

China needs to take stronger measures if it wants to reduce the high number of smoking-related deaths each year, a World Health Organization (WHO) representative said in Beijing Tuesday.

Shin Young-soo, WHO regional director for the Western Pacific, said that the nation should make more efforts if it is to fulfill its obligations under a WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

China needs to do much more if it is to tackle tobacco-related illness, with the highest level in the world, Shin said.

"We realize that this situation is complex and we know there are many competing interests," Shin said, noting that the tobacco industry has contributed a lot to China's fiscal revenue as well as provided many job opportunities.

He noted that other countries with a similar situation to China have taken successful steps to control smoking, such as raising the price of cigarettes. China also has not enforced anti-smoking legislation.

"China ratified the WHO treaty on tobacco control, the FCTC, in 2006. It is time China took truly strong measures to fulfill its obligations under this treaty," Shin said.

China has more than 300 million smokers and produced 2.58 trillion cigarettes in 2012.