China links US textile curbs with farm trade
Reuters, Washington
A top Chinese official questioned Thursday why Beijing should honour commitments to open its market to more foreign farm goods if the United States and Europe are slamming their doors to Chinese clothing following the end of a global quota system on Jan. 1. "The textile integration is a legitimate right that China is entitled to, based on our commitments made to the WTO (World Trade Organisation) by opening greatly our agricultural market and services market to the outside world," Chinese Commerce Minister Bo Xilai told PBS' Nightly Business Report. "Therefore, it is a kind of balance between our rights and our obligations. So, if we cannot have our right of the textile integration, why are we opening our agriculture and services sectors to the outside world?" Bo said, according to a translated transcript of his remarks in the interview, due to be broadcast on Thursday and Friday night. Bowing to pressure from the US textile industry, Washington has put emergency import curbs on trousers, shirts, underwear and cotton yarn from China. The European Union is considering similar action to restrict imports. Washington and Brussels are acting under a special provision of China's 2001 accession to the WTO which allows countries to restrict China's textile and clothing imports through the end of 2008 to stop "market-disrupting" surges.
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