China will strengthen cooperation with other countries on product quality issues in a bid to promote sound development of foreign trade, said Li Changjiang, director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ), on Thursday.

Li made the remarks at a national quality supervision and inspection work conference held in Beijing.

"China will enhance consultation with other countries regarding quality supervision and inspections, establish and expand inter-government cooperative mechanism on product quality and safety control," Li said.

Li added that AQSIQ would assist Beijing Municipal Food Safety Supervision and Coordination Office in food safety supervision and sport equipment testing during the 2008 Olympic Games.

Chinese industries have been battered by a raft of reports detailing substandard products ranging from drugs to toys.

The Chinese government responded the scandals by introducing a new recall system last summer, launching a four-month-long nationwide product quality campaign and offering intensive training courses to domestic manufacturers.

AQSIQ has taken numerous measures to promote international cooperation in the field, including signing 47 bilateral documents and establishing 23 cooperative mechanisms. It also co-hosted the High-Level International Food Safety Forum and International Consumer Product Safety Conference in 2007.

(Xinhua News Agency January 4, 2008)