A senior executive from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) told Chinese police the British drug-maker will reform its business in the country in the wake of a bribery scandal, China's Ministry of Public Security said on Monday (July 22).

It said GSK's president for emerging markets, Abbas Hussain, made the pledge in a meeting with officials. Britain's biggest drugmaker sent Hussain to China to deal with the scandal.

"Hussain apologised on behalf of GSK and said GSK will fully support the Chinese government's resolution to root out corruption and will actively reform GSK's original business and operating procedures in China," the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry, which urged GSK to take "responsibility" for the scandal, cited a statement from GSK as saying four detained Chinese executives from the drugmaker were able to break the law because they knew the company's internal systems so well.

Hussain was dispatched to China by Chief Executive Andrew Witty, along with the group's global head of internal audit and a senior legal official, a person familiar with the matter said on Friday (July 19).

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