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Bo Xilai, China's commerce minister,
speaks at the Fortune global forum in Beijing May 18, 2005. Bo said
the US and EU moves to restrict China's textile exports are unfair.
(newsphoto) |
Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai has defended the principle of free and
fair trade, branding recent foreign restrictions on Chinese textiles
"unfair."
The minister was speaking at the FORTUNE Global Forum yesterday, where
he stressed the world's free trade rules should be honoured and that
double standards should not be used in international business.
In the Uruguay round of the World Trade
Organization talks in 1995, developed countries agreed to phase out
quotas on textiles and apparel
imports within 10 years, Bo said.
But some countries had kept 70 to 90 per cent of the most important
quotas in place right up to the end of last year, which in great part
caused a short-term surge in China's textile exports in the first several
months this year, according to the ministry sources.
"But at present, they blame China for the rapid
growth in textile exports, (and thus) set restrictions on China's textile
products and implement trade protectionism
. It's unfair," the minister said.
The United States announced on Friday it had decided to re-impose
quotas on Chinese-made cotton trousers, cotton knit shirts and underwear.
Bo said the world trade regulatory body has been around for 57 years,
during which time developed countries have been competitive in most
industries, and few developing members have had an edge.
China, a developing country, has spun a competitive textile industry
after years of painstaking efforts. It is a sector with low added value,
but provides a livelihood for millions of Chinese workers, Bo said.
"However, this small comparative advantage has
encountered quota restrictions just four months after golbal textile
integration," Bo said. "It is inconceivable
."
He said there was no room for dual standards when the world is abuzz
with free trade.
"When you have overwhelming advantages, you preach free trade, and ask
others to open their doors. But you slap restrictions and shut your own
doors immediately you are challenged by developing countries," he said.
This is obviously against free trade principles, he said.
It also erodes the serious nature of WTO rules and adversely affects
the ongoing new round of WTO talks, Bo said.
The minister said the sixth WTO Ministerial Conference, to be held in
Hong Kong in December, is important for the Doha Development Agenda (DDA)
negotiations, which are closely related to new international trade rules.
"We hope the new free trade rules are more
transparent, more just and in good faith," he said. "Once an agreement is reached, all should honour their
commitments, otherwise it is pointless negotiating new rules."
(China Daily) |