(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-08-16 14:05

WASHINGTON -- China Wednesday called for global cooperation to improve food safety, noting that it along with product quality are an international problem.

"No country's products are immune to problems," said Zhao Baoqing, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington.

But Zhao added that China will intensify food safety supervision and punish all those responsible for supplying tainted food.

"Food safety and product quality is an international problem, and is also something that all countries pay attention to," said Zhao, who previously worked for China's product quality watchdog, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

Zhao admitted that China's food safety needs improving, but said that the vast majority of Chinese exports to United States are of high quality.

"During 2004 to 2006, more than 99 percent of Chinese food to the US met the US safety and quality standards," he said.

The official said the Chinese government has been actively cooperating with other countries to seek solutions to issues of food safety and product quality.

"Quality and safety questions are something that every country has to deal with," Zhao reiterated, adding that more international cooperation and less finger-pointing was needed.