WASHINGTON, Dec 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Friday that food and product safety issues will head the agenda when he sits down in China next week with top Chinese officials.

Interviewed on CNBC television ahead of the next round of a so-called strategic economic dialogue with China on Dec. 12-13, Paulson said the continuing talks were aimed at keeping U.S.-China relations "on an even keel" amid tensions.

"When we set this up last September ... I don't think anyone of us at that time saw product safety, food safety, the whole integrity of trade as being the key issue that it is today," he said.

Nonetheless, "I would think that would be the top agenda item that we have" next week, he added.

This will be the third round of U.S.-China talks since the SED process was initiated last year and will take place outside Beijing.

Paulson is leading a delegation that includes Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt. U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson. (Reporting by Glenn Somerville)

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