The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has opened three offices in China this week in an effort to improve the safety of food imported from the Asian giant.

The three offices are in Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai.

By establishing a presence in other parts of the world, the US can work more closely with manufacturers and other governments, share sanitary practices and further ensure that quality and safety are built into food and consumer products at the point of manufacture, said US Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt.

Leavitt and FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach are traveling to the offices to meet with manufacturers and Chinese government officials to discuss policy and governance reforms.

The FDA is also working to build presence in India, the EU, South America and the Middle East, said the agency.