China defends trade policies
Chinese Commerce Minister Bo Xilai has defended China's trade and market access policies, making clear that as a developing nation, it cannot make "drastic changes".
By PTI |
BEIJING: Chinese Commerce Minister Bo Xilai has defended China's trade and market access policies, making clear that as a developing nation, it cannot make "drastic changes".
"People who call for China to open up its markets further to the outside world must recall it's basically a developing country," Bo said after meeting with visiting EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson here on Tuesday.
Bo was responding to his EU counterpart's call for China to further open its market to foreign competition and remove "unfair barriers" to European companies.
Mandelson said China "needs to open its markets further and commit to trading fairly both in terms of the conditions of domestic production and the access it provides to its own market."
Bo said China is still a developing country which has 100 to 200 million people living on the equivalent of one US dollars per day, and is not able to undertake drastic changes.
He also criticised the EU for its decision to go along with the United States and Canada in asking the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to set up a panel to examine China's tariffs on auto parts.
He defended the country's tariff regime on imports of auto parts, which regards imports of 60 per cent or more of a vehicle as a complete unit, saying the regulations were "fully in conformity" with WTO rules.
But Mandelson indicated Brussels would press ahead with its complaint.
"People who call for China to open up its markets further to the outside world must recall it's basically a developing country," Bo said after meeting with visiting EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson here on Tuesday.
Bo was responding to his EU counterpart's call for China to further open its market to foreign competition and remove "unfair barriers" to European companies.
Mandelson said China "needs to open its markets further and commit to trading fairly both in terms of the conditions of domestic production and the access it provides to its own market."
Bo said China is still a developing country which has 100 to 200 million people living on the equivalent of one US dollars per day, and is not able to undertake drastic changes.
He also criticised the EU for its decision to go along with the United States and Canada in asking the World Trade Organisation (WTO) to set up a panel to examine China's tariffs on auto parts.
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He defended the country's tariff regime on imports of auto parts, which regards imports of 60 per cent or more of a vehicle as a complete unit, saying the regulations were "fully in conformity" with WTO rules.
But Mandelson indicated Brussels would press ahead with its complaint.
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