The Chinese Government welcomed the rejection by U.S. President George W. Bush of a request to impose quotas on steel pipe imported from China, a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce said Monday.

This is the fourth time that the president decided not to place quotas on Chinese exports to the United States, the spokesman made the statement on the website of the ministry.

The decision of the U.S. government is conducive to the bilateral economic and trade relations, said the spokesman.

Explaining his decision, President Bush said Friday the cost to American consumers would outweigh the benefit to domestic producers.

(Xinhua News Agency January 3, 2006)