China and the United States signed an agreement here on Thursday, outlining their collaboration to enhance the effectiveness of environmental protection laws and regulations covering imports and exports.

China's quality watchdog chief Li Changjiang and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Stephen L. Johnson signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the Third China-U.S. Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED), which began on Wednesday and will run through Thursday.

Joint efforts will be made to regulate the import and export products between the United States and China, such as monitoring wastes and recycling materials, guarantee the security of chemicals, and check pesticide residues, according to the MOU between China's General Administration of Quality, Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and the U.S. EPA.

Joint activities should also be carried out, such as testing program development, cooperative research and information sharing, and training, according to sources close to the senior officials.

The MOU is effective for five years and may be extended with mutual agreement.

AQSIQ officials said the MOU would help build mutual contacts and form effective mechanisms to resolve problems and promote the healthy development of mutual trade.

(Xinhua News Agency December 13, 2007)