China Agrees to Post U.S. Safety Officials in Its Food Factories

XIANGHE, China — China and the United States, seeking to ease the furor over the safety of food exports, signed an agreement Tuesday calling for a greater American role in certifying and inspecting Chinese food products, including an increased presence of American officials at Chinese production plants.

The agreement came as Chinese and American representatives exchanged tough words over recent trade and economic disputes in Beijing on Tuesday and later on Wednesday at the opening of high-level talks in this suburb of the capital.

The safety accord, part of several aimed at easing economic tensions with China on a number of divisive subjects, would impose new registration and inspection requirements by Chinese food exporters for 10 specific products, with the United States government maintaining a public list of the exporters’ records.

Michael O. Leavitt, secretary of health and human services, said he expected that Food and Drug Administration officials would eventually be embedded in China’s food safety bureaucracy to help train Chinese officials and keep records on their inspections.

“The Chinese recognize, as do we, that having FDA personnel here would expedite the process of capacity building and increase cooperation and communication,” Mr. Leavitt said. “I am optimistic that it will occur.”

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