BEIJING, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- China and the United States agreed Wednesday to sign a memorandum of cooperation on protecting human health and environment in the area of import and export.

    Li Changjiang, director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said he expects to sign the deal Thursday with Stephen I. Johnson, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

    According to Li, the memorandum involves bilateral cooperation in five areas including strengthening supervision on chemical products, leftover of pesticide, mutual recognition of energy saving products, and improving exported products to better meet the requirement of environmental laws and regulations.

    Product safety, a key issue that has sparked many disputes between both countries since spring, has for the first time been listed as one of the topics to be discussed on the on-going China-U.S. Strategic Economic Dialogue.

    Started Wednesday morning, the dialogue focuses on six long-term topics: the challenges of globalization, trade integration, balanced economic development, the economic impact of energy choices, economic growth and sustainability and bilateral investment.

    Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi and U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson co-chaired the dialogue as special representatives of the two state leaders.