An EU commission delegation is due to arrive Beijing this week
to find a solution to the textile issue, says EU Trade Commissioner
Peter Mandelson.
Mandelson believes the current friction on textiles between the
two economies will not lead to "any sort of diplomatic break or
trade war between the European Union and China."
"I'm not going to take any action that is precipitate, that is
reactionary, that is going to turn the clock back on textile
imports," he said.
His remarks were made last week when he met China's Minister of
Commerce Bo
Xialai, who is on a visit to France.
Mandelson acknowledged that measures adopted by China this year
had helped to slow down the growth rate of its textile exports to
the European Union.
At the meeting Bo warned the European Union not to exaggerate
the trade friction concerning textiles.
He said Sino-EU textile trade only accounted for 7.1 percent of
bilateral trade, which stood at US$177.3 billion last year.
Bilateral textile trade saw a slight increase in proportion to
8.6 percent of the total trade volume in the first quarter this
year, despite the surge blamed by European countries.
"The export surges of textiles from China do not disorder the
markets of target countries," Bo said.
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Therefore, Bo said, moves by the European Union and the United
States to re-impose quotas on textile imports from China were not
obvious.
The minister added limitations on China's textiles would harm
not only the interests of China but also of importers, retailers
and consumers of Europe.
"China and the European Union are complementary in textile trade
as the country not only exports textiles to the EU but also imports
materials and equipment for it," Bo said.
The United States and European countries had voiced fears before
the global removal of import quotas that made-in-China textiles
might flood their markets.
Tensions intensified when the United States and the European
Union, at the request of domestic textile producers, initiated
investigations into safeguard measures against textiles from China
last month.
(China Daily May 9, 2005)
