China's top quality watchdog has asked General Motors, Daimler's Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen to fulfill their obligations to recall vehicles in China affected by faulty Takata air bags, it said in a statement.

The GM logo is seen in Warren, Michigan, U.S. on October 26, 2015.

The three foreign carmakers have to date only proposed recalling a small number of vehicles for testing and analysis instead of providing recall plans, said the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine on its website late on Thursday.

The watchdog said it met the carmakers' representatives and urged them to fulfill their legal obligations and recall affected vehicles as soon as possible.

It estimated that more than 20 million cars in China were equipped with the air bags made by Japanese auto parts maker Takata Corp 7312.T, which have been linked to at least 16 deaths and 180 injuries around the world. The bags have the potential to explode with too much force and spray shrapnel.

Of 37 car manufacturers affected by the faulty air bag issue in China, 24 had already recalled 10.59 million cars by the end of June while another five had made plans to recall a further 1.26 million vehicles, it said.

Source: Reuters