Chinese Trade Minister Urges EU to Cut Trade Limitations

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, March 28, 2002

Chinese Trade Minister Urges EU to Cut Trade Limitations

China's Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, Shi Guangsheng, said Wednesday in Beijing that China and the European Union should reduce trade disputes and openmarkets to each other.

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China's Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, Shi Guangsheng, said Wednesday in Beijing that China and the European Union should reduce trade disputes and open markets to each other.

Shi made the remarks during a meeting with Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt who arrived in Beijing Tuesday on an official visit to China.

Overall trade and economic cooperation between China and the EU is healthy, Shi said, but he added that China is worried about import limits the EU imposed on some Chinese products.

The total number of anti-dumping cases against Chinese products launched by the EU reached 91, accounting for about one-fifth of the total anti-dumping cases China faced, Shi said.

Import limits against Chinese products on grounds of hygiene and technology are also increasing, Shi said. While the import banon Chinese poultry products had not been resolved, the EU decided to ban imports of Chinese meat products later last year.

"China understands the checks and care of the EU side on food hygiene," Shi said. "China, like the EU, also pays great attention to food hygiene. But the EU side, without prior consultation with the Chinese side, took abrupt measures against Chinese products and we cannot accept that."

Recently, the EU imposed an unreasonable limit on imports of Chinese lighters on grounds of child safety. Shi said China understood the care of children, but that such care should not be based on the price of lighters.

"Opening of markets should be a two-way track," Shi said. "The EU side hopes China opens wider to the outside world, and China also hopes the EU opens its markets to China. Only if trade disputes are subdued and markets open to each other, can trade and economic cooperation grow to a better level."

China-EU trade volume reached 77.6 billion U.S. dollars last year, up 15 percent from the previous year.

Shi asked the Belgian Prime Minister to exert the influence of Belgium, who Shi described as an "important member of the EU", so that China and the EU could properly resolve the disputes.

Verhofstadt said China's entry into the WTO is significant to the world trading system, especially there is now a tendency to trade protectionism on the issue of steel. He explained the position of the EU and pledged to help resolve the trade disputes.

Plans for China-EU Trade Fair in 2002

A large-scale trade fair organized by China and the European Union (EU) is expected be held from November 7 to 8 in 2002, sources from the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) disclosed Friday in Beijing.

Hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses from 15 EU member countries including Italy, France, Germany and Britain will attend the fair, and over 500 Chinese businesses are scheduled to participate, according to CCPIT.

The fair, promoting electronic products, machinery, information technology, environmental protection, food and drinks as well as metal products, aims to build a long-term cooperative partnership between Chinese and EU businesses.

Special offices have been set up to help businesses find suitable partners. Chinese enterprises have started registering, said CCPIT.

EU has held trade fairs in Singapore, India and Malaysia since the late 1990s, all of which were quite successful, according to CCPIT.

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