The American government's unilateral quota deduction concerning textile imports from China seriously violates the Sino-US bilateral textile agreement, a spokeswoman with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC) said Friday in Beijing.

Gao Yan, the spokeswoman, said that the US government "has yet provided no clear evidence" of the need to make the quota deduction, worth about US$28 million.

The American government recently decided to cut quotas on Chinese textile imports, on the pretext that enterprises from the Chinese mainland illegally exported textile products via other places.

Gao stressed that the Chinese government has consistently and conscientiously implemented the Sino-US bilateral agreement, and advocated to develop bilateral trade relations on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, and to solve trade disputes with a practical and cooperative attitude.

The Chinese government cannot accept the US action, which violates the bilateral textile agreement, and demands that the American government consider the overall Sino-US trade relations and correct its decision so as to ensure the smooth development of bilateral textile trade, Gao said.

(Xinhua News Agency December 14, 2001)