US accusations that China is failing to live up to its World
Trade Organization (WTO) commitments have been rejected by experts
in China, which has just received an "A-plus" performance rating
from WTO director-general Pascal Lamy.
In response to complaints of rampant piracy, protectionism and
export subsidies, Zhao Yumin, an expert of the Commerce Ministry
research institute, said the United States had failed to thoroughly
examine China's performance, so it could not provide an objective
appraisal.
The report, issued by the US Trade Representative's Office on
Monday, in the run-up to the top-level China-US strategic economic
dialogue in Beijing on Thursday, is widely seen by Chinese experts
as an attempt to pressure the Chinese government on certain key
issues.
Complaining of a lack of a forceful crackdown on piracy, the
report said, "China routinely fines copyright violators rather than
prosecuting them."
But Zhao said China had issued regulations in 2004 that
stipulated prison terms of up to seven years for those convicted of
selling more than 5,000 pirated discs.
Chinese statistics show that from July to October this year,
more than 140 violators received jail terms across the country.
"It is true that administrative penalties remain the common
practice for dealing with copyright violators, but the government
has become tough on the issue," said Zhao.
"These efforts are impressive for a developing country like
China, when reducing poverty and addressing unemployment remain
priorities," she said.
Regarding the market opening, the US Trade Representative Susan
Schwab said certain US industries "face frustrating barriers to
doing business in China and there are worrisome signs that China's
market liberalization efforts have slowed in the last year".
Lan Yisheng, an economics professor with the Shanghai University
of Finance and Economics, argued that every nation had the right to
control industries of significant importance to national security.
"It does not break WTO rules," he was quoted as saying in
Wednesday's China Business News.
"China opened all the sectors listed in its WTO commitments five
years ago and removed barriers to foreign participation," said Zhao
Yumin.
The US report also targeted increasing Chinese exports, saying
the Chinese government provided substantial resources to support
Chinese industries and increase exports.
"The Chinese government has abolished subsidies on export
products as it promised," said Zhao.
"Even in the agricultural sector, highly protected in both
developed and developing countries, China has abolished subsidies
on exports," she said.
"China has become one of the most open economic entities in the
world," said the expert.
Zhao said the Chinese government may provide financial
assistance in company research and development and grant
preferential taxation and loan policies to companies aiming to
expand overseas.
"But all of the policies focus on the production phase, not
exports. It doesn't break WTO rules," said Zhao.
China marked five years of WTO membership on Dec. 11. Pascal
Lamy, WTO director-general, and Charlene Barshefsky, former US
trade representative, both senior negotiators during China's entry
into the WTO, have praised China's fulfillment of WTO pledges.
Lamy told Xinhua in Geneva that he gave China's performance an
A-plus. Barshefsky told Xinhua that China had made remarkable
progress in opening its economy since it joined the WTO.
A high-profile US delegation led by Treasury Secretary Henry
Paulson arrived in Beijing Wednesday for the first China-US
strategic economic dialogue.
Among Paulson's delegation are the US Cabinet secretaries of
commerce, labor, energy and health and human services. Ben
Bernanke, the chairman of the US Federal Reserve and the US Trade
Representative Susan Schwab will also take part in the
meetings.
(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2006)