The United States Food and Drug Administration has opened its first office outside the U.S. in Beijing.

US Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said a new strategy was needed because the U.S. imported 2 trillion dollars worth of goods this year alone.

"In the past, we have always been at our borders to try and catch things that were not safe or did not meet our standards. In the future, our new strategy is to build safety into products at every step of the way."

The FDA office in Beijing will be followed by two more in the Chinese cities of Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Offices will also open in India next month and Latin America in January as the FDA tries to globalise its presence.

The staff will inspect local facilities, provide guidance on US quality standards and eventually train local experts to conduct inspections on behalf of the FDA.

In the past year, China has increased inspections and tightened restrictions on food production and other industries, after a series of product safety issues.