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US seeks end to dispute
3/6/2005 9:40

Visiting US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said in Beijing yesterday that his government hopes to both solve the US-China textile issue through consultations and continue strengthening its economic and trade relations with China.
Gutierrez made the remarks at a luncheon hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in China. He arrived yesterday morning.
He also said he will focus on protecting intellectual property rights during discussions with Chinese officials.
China and the United States have become the two "main engines" of the world economy and China's economic progress has been "amazing" since it embraced reform and opening-up 26 years ago, said Gutierrez who is on his first visit to China since taking office.
The United States "seeks a strong relationship with the Chinese people," he said.
China is now the US' third-largest trading partner and its fastest-growing export market. US exports to China increased by 80 percent since China entered the World Trade Organization in December 2001, he said.
However, America's top trade official expressed dissatisfaction with China's lax or nonexistent protection of intellectual property rights, saying that the United States was "encouraged" by China's commitment on that issue but would push China for "tangible results."
Meanwhile, China said the US restriction on some of its textile exports violates the principle of free trade.
The United States re-imposed quotas on seven kinds of Chinese textile and clothing products, four months after such quotas were eliminated worldwide according to WTO agreements.
Elsewhere, Hong Kong-origin textile and clothing products can claim exemption from the Chinese mainland export duty from next Friday with a Certificate for Outward Processing on the Mainland, said the Hong Kong government yesterday.
The transitional arrangement will allow Hong Kong traders with outward processing textile products to apply for exemption from the textiles export duty imposed by the mainland before the long-term arrangement using electronic means is formally in place.
From that date, traders with textile products to be re-imported back into Hong Kong under the Outward Processing Arrangement can submit two copies of the completed form, a registration card, and a photocopy of relevant mainland import declaration documents to the exemption office for examination and endorsement.
A new Outward Processing Arrangement Textiles Duty Exemption Office has been set up under the Trade Industry Department to endorse the certificate.



 Xinhua news