| Bo Xilai, Minister of Commerce of PRC Meeting With Carlos M. Gutierrez, Secretary of US Department of Commerce |
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| Wednesday,June 08,2005 Posted: 04:04 BJT(2004 GMT) MOFCOM |
On June 4, Bo Xilai, Minister of Commerce of PRC, held a talk with visiting Secretary of US Department of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez, which was the first meeting between Chinese and US commercial ministers since the inauguration of Gutierrez. The two ministers deeply exchanged views on issues of textile trade, IPR Protection and China-US trade balance.
Mr. Gutierrez firstly expressed that he came to China from Russia for special aim to explain the restrictions on Chinese textile products. Mr. Bo Xilai welcomed the special visit of Gutierrez to China and stressed that China entered into WTO on the basis of balanced relations between obligation and rights, textile integration was the important rights for China after WTO access. But on the other hand, after 4 months since the implementation of textile integration, Chinese textile products suffered from quota restrictions from America, for which Chinese enterprises felt disappointed and Chinese government firmly opposed. WTO set up 10-year transition period in Textile and Garment Agreement, nevertheless, the US and EU remained their quotas of major and most popular products to the end. Now, the US and EU but China should take main liability for textile trade friction. The conduct of the US to restrict on Chinese textile products was out of line with WTO relative regulations, in violation with textile trade integration and against the principle advocated by the US of free trade.
Bo Xilai pointed out that it was subjective that public opinions in US took Chinese textile as a threat. Chinese textile products with good quality and low price reduced the family expenditure of US consumers, in textile trade, Chinese enterprises just obtained limited interest and more benefits were shared by importers and retailers of USA. Owing to the industrial structure in US, even Chinese textile products completely withdrew from US market, the US would also choose other substitutes from other countries, which was useless for the employment of USA. Restrictions on Chinese products were not worth for the US.
Mr. Gutierrez said that the US understood the importance of textile issue for China, cherished the trade and economic relations between China and US built several years ago, was concerned about the favorable relations which might be affected by textile issue. If bilateral trade and economic relations were hurt owing to textile issue, it would not only damage the benefit of US enterprises but also bring losses to US government. In the cooperation of China-US trade and economy, textile trade accounted for a small part, the US hoped to communicate with China through negotiation to get mutual understanding, to enhance cooperation, to settle down properly current textile issue, meanwhile, the US party expected China's understanding that the US now undertook huge political pressure on textile issue.
Bo Xilai said that as for textile issue, China also had great pressure as USA, it was an economic and social issue, relating to employment of low-income residents. China highly emphasized the China-US trade and economic relations, the increasing bilateral trade volume in 20 years completely indicated the complementarily of each other. Trade frictions were inevitable, but we should solve them fairly and rationally.
In the talk, the two sides both thought that the China-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade to be held in near future was very much importance, we should be earnest to prepare to strive for positive achievements.
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Bilateral Visits