中美对话前又爆贸易规则口角

China is defending its foreign investment climate in the face of critical comments from Gary Locke, the U.S. commerce secretary who has been nominated to be the next U.S. ambassador in Beijing. 

The exchange comes ahead of annual high-level talks next week known as the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. Locke said Wednesday in Washington that Chinese companies enjoy more opportunities in the United States than American firms do in China, and that the imbalance is a "major barrier" to improved commercial relations. 

But at a briefing Thursday in Beijing, foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu insisted that foreign companies enjoy equal treatment in China. She challenged them to rely on their own strength for success in that country.