Japan has asked China to pay more attention to food safety. The request comes after dozens of Japanese who ate dumplings imported from China fell ill.

Over recent months, a long list of consumer goods from China – everything from seafood to toothpaste to toys – have been the objects of recalls.

Leaders of China and the European Union are to open a summit Wednesday in Beijing. The EU's growing trade deficit with China and the safety of Chinese imports are issues that are likely to dominate the talks.

Hurt by a series of safety recalls of Chinese-made toys this year, U.S. toy companies and retailers are pressing China-based manufacturers to use quality materials. But as VOA's Heda Bayron reports from Hong Kong, some manufacturers say this is squeezing them financially.

The European Union rises the ban on certain toys and products from China, saying the country was working hard to ensure its exports meet international safety standards.

A top Chinese product quality official said Monday that an "all-out effort" was made to ensure the safety of the food supply at next summer's Beijing Olympics.

China's product safety watchdog has halted the export of toys suspected of containing toxic substances in the latest scandal plaguing the "made in China" brand.

A toxic chemical that converts into a fatal drug was found in a popular Chinese-made toy. The Australian company is investigating how the toxin ended up in this product.

The Chinese Government has approved in principle a new food safety law aimed at raising standards at every level of production, a senior official said.

China arrested 774 people for producing and selling fake goods, partly to suppress worries over the quality of its products.

Americans fear Chinese products, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said, adding that the reason was the recent recalls.

US retailing giant Target Corp announced a voluntary recall of Chinese-made toy gardening tools and children's lawn furniture containing "excessive levels of lead," the company said in a statement.