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China rejects US green-tech trade charges
Posted: 16 October 2010 2143 hrs
Photos 1 of 1
Wind turbines in a China farm
BEIJING : China on Saturday rejected US allegations that it was engaging in unfair trade practices in the green technology sector, calling the charge "groundless and irresponsible".
The statement from the commerce ministry followed an announcement Friday by US trade authorities that a probe had been launched into claims China is handing out huge illegal subsidies in a bid to dominate the sector.
The United Steelworkers union had petitioned US trade officials to investigate practices it claims contravene World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and cost American jobs.
"The union's complaint is groundless and irresponsible," China's commerce ministry said Saturday in a statement posted on its website.
The US union -- one of the nation's largest -- accused China of blocking access to materials used in green technologies, illegally linking subsidies to export sales, curbing imports and demanding that foreign investors hand over technology secrets.
It also accused China of providing more than 216 billion dollars' worth of subsidies to green technology makers.
It said these amounted to "more than twice as much as the US spent in the sector and nearly half of the total 'green' stimulus spent worldwide," according to a September plea filed by the union.
Announcing the investigation, US Trade Representative Ron Kirk vowed to tackle all of the complaints in detail.
"We take the USW's claims very seriously, and we are vigorously investigating them," he said.
The Chinese statement accused the United States of subsidising up to 2,300 energy-related programmes, including clean-energy projects, making the US criticisms of China "unjustified".
Trade tensions have dogged China and the United States over the past year, particularly allegations that China keeps its yuan currency artificially weak to boost its export competitiveness.
Figures released on Thursday have further fuelled US concerns about trade imbalances with China.
The US Commerce Department said the country's trade deficit with China ballooned to a new record in August.
The politically sensitive gap with China expanded eight percent, to 28.0 billion dollars, wiping out the previous record of 27.9 billion dollars set in October 2008.
- AFP/ir
Posted: 16 October 2010 2143 hrs
Photos 1 of 1
Wind turbines in a China farm
BEIJING : China on Saturday rejected US allegations that it was engaging in unfair trade practices in the green technology sector, calling the charge "groundless and irresponsible".
The statement from the commerce ministry followed an announcement Friday by US trade authorities that a probe had been launched into claims China is handing out huge illegal subsidies in a bid to dominate the sector.
The United Steelworkers union had petitioned US trade officials to investigate practices it claims contravene World Trade Organization (WTO) rules and cost American jobs.
"The union's complaint is groundless and irresponsible," China's commerce ministry said Saturday in a statement posted on its website.
The US union -- one of the nation's largest -- accused China of blocking access to materials used in green technologies, illegally linking subsidies to export sales, curbing imports and demanding that foreign investors hand over technology secrets.
It also accused China of providing more than 216 billion dollars' worth of subsidies to green technology makers.
It said these amounted to "more than twice as much as the US spent in the sector and nearly half of the total 'green' stimulus spent worldwide," according to a September plea filed by the union.
Announcing the investigation, US Trade Representative Ron Kirk vowed to tackle all of the complaints in detail.
"We take the USW's claims very seriously, and we are vigorously investigating them," he said.
The Chinese statement accused the United States of subsidising up to 2,300 energy-related programmes, including clean-energy projects, making the US criticisms of China "unjustified".
Trade tensions have dogged China and the United States over the past year, particularly allegations that China keeps its yuan currency artificially weak to boost its export competitiveness.
Figures released on Thursday have further fuelled US concerns about trade imbalances with China.
The US Commerce Department said the country's trade deficit with China ballooned to a new record in August.
The politically sensitive gap with China expanded eight percent, to 28.0 billion dollars, wiping out the previous record of 27.9 billion dollars set in October 2008.
- AFP/ir
