A Chinese official Wednesday called on the United States to strengthen cooperation with China on improving product safety, saying the two sides share a common responsibility.

"Every country bears the responsibility of ensuring product quality and food safety. China and the U.S. should strengthen cooperation between relevant departments to jointly improve product safety and quality," said Li Changjiang, director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

Product quality and food safety are major issues in the third China-U.S. Strategic Economic Dialogue, which opened in Beijing on Wednesday.

Li said the Chinese government was taking seriously quality problems in exports to the U.S. and was determined to solve them.

"But some of the problems lie with the importers and designers of the United States; such as some potential safety problems in the design of the toys, so the U.S. should take the initiative to shoulder the responsibility in these areas," Li said.

Product criteria in both countries were different so both governments should strengthen communication in studying the criteria, Li said.

He said China and the U.S. had maintained close contact and achieved consensus on the issue of product quality and food safety.

"The U.S. government should take a pragmatic attitude on this issue, and I believe, with expanding cooperation of both sides, positive information will be sent out to the public and consumers" Li said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 13, 2007)