China’s chief quality regulator resigned on Monday as Beijing sought to contain an escalating crisis over tainted milk that has left nearly 13,000 children in hospital and provoked many Asian governments to recall products that contain dairy ingredients from China.

The official Xinhua news agency said Li Changjiang, director of the general administration of quality supervision, inspection and quarantine, China’s top product quality regulator, had stepped down with the approval of the cabinet. Mr Li is the highest-ranking official so far to be brought down by the scandal.