(Yicai Global) May 29 -- Almost a third of Chinese consumers plan to increase spending on imported commodities over the next six months as they look to make safer, higher-quality purchases.

More than a fifth of respondents said more than a third of their total spending on commodities already goes toward imported goods, the Ministry of Commerce said in a report based on a survey of demand for domestic consumer goods. Cosmetics, watches and eyeglasses, parent and child products, cars and jewelry were the most sought-after imports.

Some 90 percent of consumers considered safety the most important factor when buying imported food and parenting goods, while quality was paramount for those buying cosmetics and leisure products.

China has a long-term policy to actively increase imports and welcomes high-quality, competitive commodities and services from around the world, commerce ministry spokesman Gao Feng said at a regular press briefing on May 24. The globe's second-largest economy is willing to provide a fair and transparent business environment for foreign companies in order to do so, he added.

Companies are already looking at increasing imports of 34 of the 92 commodity categories covered by the survey, according to import data. These include fruit, dairy, wine, clothes, shoes, baby products, cosmetics, watches and new-energy vehicles.

Editor: James Boynton