Sydney APEC may raise food safety but spare China

WASHINGTON, Aug 17 (Reuters) The United States hopes the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Australia next month will discuss food safety, but the consensus-based APEC is unlikely to single out China for criticism, the US envoy to the grouping said.

Leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific economies gathering for the Sept. 7-9 summit in Sydney -- including US President George W. Bush and China's President Hu Jintao -- will focus on climate change and expanding trade and investment, said Ambassador Patricia Haslach yesterday.

''We're also hopeful that there'll be a discussion of food safety. There is a group within APEC that does discuss these issues already,'' she told reporters in Washington.

A spate of product recalls and troubles with pet food, toothpaste and toys from China has alarmed US consumers and policymakers.

The ''made in China'' scare has also raised hackles in China, which argues that the problem has been exaggerated in foreign media reports and says Chinese firms are being maligned for what is a global problem.

Haslach said any APEC food safety discussions next month would be collegial and aimed at consensus-building.

''We want to take folks out of the spotlight and it's not meant to make accusations against one economy or the other,'' she said. ''It's really to look at how we can work together.'' The APEC forum draws together leaders of economies that account for more than one third of the world's population, about 60 percent of global gross domestic product and 47 percent of world trade volume.

Members are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan (under the name Chinese Taipei), Thailand, United States and Vietnam.

Reuters SZ VP0500