WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) – Four senior U.S. lawmakers on
Friday pressed for action on longstanding complaints about trade
with China, as President Barack Obama’s administration prepares
to host senior Chinese officials for high-level talks in
December.
“We are concerned that China continues to move away from
market-based reforms and is more deeply embracing an economic
model dominated by state-owned enterprises, World Trade
Organization-inconsistent subsidies, and economic
protectionism,” the top Republicans and Democrats on the House
of Representatives Ways and Means Committee and the Senate
Finance Committee said in a letter to senior Obama
administration officials.
“China’s state capitalist model presents a range of issues
that impact the future prosperity of the United States and the
economic stability of the world,” they said.
U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and Acting Commerce
Secretary Rebecca Blank are expected to host the U.S.-China
Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade meeting in December,
although exact dates have not been announced.
The annual meeting comes during a period of transition for
both governments. Kirk is expected to leave office in the near
future and Blank’s continued service as Commerce secretary is
uncertain in Obama’s second term that begins in January.
China’s ruling Communist Party unveiled a new top leadership
in November. Vice President Xi Jinping took helm of the party,
and will take over as head of state in March at the annual
parliament meeting.
Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan has co-chaired the talks in
recent years and remains part of the government, but it was not
immediately clear if he would attend this year’s meeting.
The U.S. lawmakers struck a weary tone in their letter as
they noted their longstanding frustration with China’s weak
enforcement of intellectual property rights, opaque regulatory
system and market access barriers.
“We have each written to you in the past about our key
priorities and concerns. While incremental progress has been
made, our list of concerns remains troublingly similar
year-to-year,” the lawmakers said.
