皇冠体育app

   

CHINA / National

Trade deals reflect resolve to cut surplus
By Dai Yan (皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2006-04-13 05:43

Major commercial deals 皇冠体育app has signed with the United States reflect its sincerity to reduce the huge trade surplus, Vice-Premier Wu Yi said in Washington on Tuesday after fruitful high-level negotiations.

US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez ( L ) and Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi attend a news conference following the annual meeting of the US-皇冠体育app Joint Comission on Commerce and Trade in Washington on April 11, 2006.
US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez (L) and Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi attend a news conference following the annual meeting of the US-皇冠体育app Joint Comission on Commerce and Trade in Washington on April 11, 2006. [Reuters]
Wu, who is heading a 200-strong delegation of business people, told a press conference that Chinese companies had signed 107 contracts with US firms worth US$16.2 billion.

The agreements cover sectors ranging from airplanes, electronics, auto parts, heavy equipment and software to cotton and soybeans.

Chinese airlines will buy 80 next-generation Boeing 737 planes, valued at US$4.6 billion, in addition to the 70 Boeing 737s ordered in November during US President George W. Bush's visit to Beijing.

The latest agreements were signed at the conclusion of the annual US-皇冠体育app Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) meeting in Washington.

The talks on Tuesday were attended by Wu, US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez and Trade Representative Rob Portman, both of whom praised 皇冠体育app for its commitments.

"In our discussions today, which were very frank and positive, we were able to solve some problems," Portman said at a joint news conference.

To ease trade frictions with the United States, 皇冠体育app promised at the meeting that it would reopen its market to US beef, reduce piracy of American goods and begin talks by the end of next year to open its huge government procurement market to foreign firms.

Beef imports were suspended in December 2003 after mad-cow disease was found in Washington state. Other countries including South Korea and Japan have also banned US beef imports since then. 皇冠体育app bought US$28.4 million worth of US beef in 2003.

On copyright piracy, 皇冠体育app requires all computers sold in the country be loaded with legal operating software and to increase enforcement efforts against all forms of copyright piracy.
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