China 'regrets' US assessment of its WTO compliance

BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - The commerce ministry said it 'regrets' the US assessment of China's compliance with its World Trade Organization commitments, calling the criticisms 'not in line with the facts.'

The US Trade Representative's office noted numerous complaints in an annual report, including 'rampant' piracy of US goods. The USTR also threatened to bring China bfore the WTO if bilateral talks fail.

It also said China's record in implementing WTO commitments is 'decidedly mixed.'

In a statement on its website Friday, the ministry said: 'China has noticed that the United States (has) many criticisms over China's implementation of WTO agreements in the fields of intellectual property rights, industrial policies and the services trade.'

'China believes that many of the US criticisms were not objective, complete or in line with the facts.'

'China expresses regret over this and urge(s) the United States to handle bilateral trade relations with an objective and pragmatic attitude,' the statement said.

But the statement also said it appreciated Washington's affirmation of its efforts in meeting its WTO promises and said the two countries should solve their trade disputes through dialogue.

The ministry issued the statement shortly after the close of the high-level two-day Sino-US strategic economic talks in Beijing.

The trade representative's report is mandated by Congress and is Washington's fullest annual examination of how China is faring on market-opening commitments.

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