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
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