Progress in Washington trade talks
Source: Agencies |
December 17, 2010, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
DESPITE disputes and quarrels, the highly scrutinized China-US trade relationship has been making progress.
Top Chinese and US officials have announced headway on beef, software and other bilateral trade irritants, reducing some friction ahead of a presidential summit next month.
"The understandings that we reached today will help protect American jobs, bolster America's competitiveness and help to grow our economy," US Trade Representative Ron Kirk said on Wednesday at the conclusion of two days of talks in Washington.
Beef exporters hailed Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan's statement that China, in accordance with scientific principles and quarantine standards, would "resume the imports of American beef, both deboned and bone-in, under the age of 30 months."
China's market has been closed to US beef since 2003, when the first case of mad cow disease was found in the United States. Reopening the Chinese market could mean "about US$200 million in annual beef business," said Joe Schuele, a spokesman for the US Meat Export Federation.
US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said a US team would travel to China in early January for talks on a staged reintroduction of US beef.
He also welcomed a Chinese decision to lift a ban on poultry from in Idaho and Kentucky, also imposed because of disease concerns.
The announcements came at the conclusion of the 21st China-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, an annual bilateral forum to resolve trade irritants.
Wang also promised China will actively fight copyright piracy by promoting greater use of legal software and will submit a revised offer to join the World Trade Organization's government procurement pact, he said.
"We expect to see measurable results on issues like intellectual property rights, including increased purchases and use of legal software in China," Kirk said.
The two sides signed seven agreements, including one to promote cooperation and information sharing regarding Chinese investment in the US. Other pacts covered inspection and quarantine procedures for soybeans, energy grid standards, water monitoring and trade development programs.
US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said he expected further trade deals when Chinese President Hu Jintao comes to Washington in January.
Some US industry officials expect Hu to be accompanied by a large delegation of Chinese businesses announcing purchases of US goods potentially worth tens of billions of dollars.
The US Chamber of Commerce said the meeting yielded progress on several of their concerns, but urged the two governments to agree on how to measure results.
"Today's promises must be measured by tangible progress on the ground," said Myron Brilliant, the business group's vice president for international affairs.
US officials welcomed a pledge that Chinese government procurement decisions would not discriminate against products containing intellectual property developed outside of China.
That addressed one major concern about China's "indigenous innovation" policies, the US officials said.
The two sides also agreed to take steps to promote bilateral investment.
That's a priority for China, whose companies' attempts to invest in the United States have sometimes been challenged on national security grounds.
"Chinese businesses are very confident about investing in the United States," and would like the two countries to complete work on a bilateral investment pact, said China's Commerce Minister Chen Deming.
The US said it would consider accelerating talks on China's desire to be designated a market economy under US trade law, Wang said.
China believes that would lead to more favorable treatment in US anti-dumping cases brought against Chinese imports.
US officials promised to consider China's interest in importing more high-technology products from the United States as the Obama administration continues its reform of national security export controls, Wang said.
US concerns about China's "undervalued" yuan were not on the official agenda.
Top Chinese and US officials have announced headway on beef, software and other bilateral trade irritants, reducing some friction ahead of a presidential summit next month.
"The understandings that we reached today will help protect American jobs, bolster America's competitiveness and help to grow our economy," US Trade Representative Ron Kirk said on Wednesday at the conclusion of two days of talks in Washington.
Beef exporters hailed Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan's statement that China, in accordance with scientific principles and quarantine standards, would "resume the imports of American beef, both deboned and bone-in, under the age of 30 months."
China's market has been closed to US beef since 2003, when the first case of mad cow disease was found in the United States. Reopening the Chinese market could mean "about US$200 million in annual beef business," said Joe Schuele, a spokesman for the US Meat Export Federation.
US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said a US team would travel to China in early January for talks on a staged reintroduction of US beef.
He also welcomed a Chinese decision to lift a ban on poultry from in Idaho and Kentucky, also imposed because of disease concerns.
The announcements came at the conclusion of the 21st China-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, an annual bilateral forum to resolve trade irritants.
Wang also promised China will actively fight copyright piracy by promoting greater use of legal software and will submit a revised offer to join the World Trade Organization's government procurement pact, he said.
"We expect to see measurable results on issues like intellectual property rights, including increased purchases and use of legal software in China," Kirk said.
The two sides signed seven agreements, including one to promote cooperation and information sharing regarding Chinese investment in the US. Other pacts covered inspection and quarantine procedures for soybeans, energy grid standards, water monitoring and trade development programs.
US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said he expected further trade deals when Chinese President Hu Jintao comes to Washington in January.
Some US industry officials expect Hu to be accompanied by a large delegation of Chinese businesses announcing purchases of US goods potentially worth tens of billions of dollars.
The US Chamber of Commerce said the meeting yielded progress on several of their concerns, but urged the two governments to agree on how to measure results.
"Today's promises must be measured by tangible progress on the ground," said Myron Brilliant, the business group's vice president for international affairs.
US officials welcomed a pledge that Chinese government procurement decisions would not discriminate against products containing intellectual property developed outside of China.
That addressed one major concern about China's "indigenous innovation" policies, the US officials said.
The two sides also agreed to take steps to promote bilateral investment.
That's a priority for China, whose companies' attempts to invest in the United States have sometimes been challenged on national security grounds.
"Chinese businesses are very confident about investing in the United States," and would like the two countries to complete work on a bilateral investment pact, said China's Commerce Minister Chen Deming.
The US said it would consider accelerating talks on China's desire to be designated a market economy under US trade law, Wang said.
China believes that would lead to more favorable treatment in US anti-dumping cases brought against Chinese imports.
US officials promised to consider China's interest in importing more high-technology products from the United States as the Obama administration continues its reform of national security export controls, Wang said.
US concerns about China's "undervalued" yuan were not on the official agenda.
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