China says US must avoid triggering trade tensions
September 15, 2009
China said Tuesday the United States, as the source of the global financial crisis, should avoid triggering trade tensions, but also signalled a willingness to avoid an all-out war with Washington.
The comments by China's commerce ministry came one day after Beijing lodged a complaint against new US tariffs on Chinese tyre imports at the World Trade Organization, charging the move was "protectionist."
"We know the economic crisis originally began in the US so it should take the corresponding responsibility and be careful about using trade protectionist measures," ministry spokesman Yao Jian told a press briefing.
Amid warnings that a jump in Chinese-made tyres had cost more than 5 000 jobs in the United States, President Barack Obama on Friday imposed punitive duties of 35 percent on the Chinese imports, invoking a WTO rule.
The step has ignited the first trade spat of his presidency just as he prepares to host his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao at a G20 gathering next week in Pittsburgh.
While further criticising what he called the US "abuse" of WTO rules in imposing the tariffs, Yao signalled China might be willing to avoid an all-out trade war through negotiations.
"We do not like to see... anything that negatively impacts bilateral trade, including US abuse of such measures," he said.
"So when we meet with trade friction, we are willing to continue consultation and communication on relevant matters."
Yao complained that the impact on jobs would be more severe in China than in the United States.
"The impact of adopting such measures is even greater on Chinese industry because as everyone knows, China is a labour-intensive country," he said.
On Sunday, China's state-run media quoted experts saying that 100 000 Chinese jobs could be lost as a result of the US tariffs.
Obama defended the move on Monday as he warned that the United States would not shirk from invoking rules in trade pacts. - AFP
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