CRI听力：US Combined Investigations into Chinese Goods Violates WTO Rules

A senior Chinese trade official said on Thursday that recent anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations launched by the United States against Chinese goods violates rules set be the World Trade Organization, and show signs of protectionism. He called on both sides to resolve issues through consultation and expanded cooperation.

CRI's Xu Weiyi has the details.

Reporter:
Since last November, the Unites States has launched five dual investigations into Chinese products, including art paper, steel pipes and tires.

Addressing a news conference, the vice-minister of commerce, Gao Hucheng, said the dual investigations run counter to its 23-year-old custom of not launching anti-subsidy investigations on a "non-market economy".

"The US is completely violating WTO rules by launching a combined investigation into anti-dumping and anti-subsidy in China, considering the country doesn't recognise China's market economy status. The investigations and the measures they might take against Chinese goods will lead to double taxation, which is banned by the WTO."

Gao Hucheng also pointed out that there are significant technical and calculation flaws in the anti-subsidy investigations.

The quality of Chinese products like toys and seafood have drawn much concern of late. However, Gao Hucheng said that although products with safety problems are a very small part of China's total exports, China is taking the issue very seriously.

He says China welcomes media supervision and criticism, but strongly opposes sensational and incorrect reports concerning the quality of China-made products.

The senior trade official says most of the China-made toys recently recalled by American Mattel Company don't have a quality problem.

"Among the 21 million toys recalled, only about 14 percent had lead in the paint. In fact, most of them were recalled voluntarily by distributors as the US only adopted new criteria for toy materials this May. They have nothing to do with the manufacturing site and quality of the toys."

According to Gao Hucheng, China's export growth rate has been going up significantly of late, though the selling of certain category of products has been affected.

The official also stressed that the measures China have taken on US-exported soybean and pork products with safety problems is a normal move.

At Thursday's News Conference, the vice-minister of commerce also revealed that China is expected to replace Japan as the third largest export market of the US by the end of this year or early next year.

Xu Weiyi, CRI news.