The Chinese government expresses strong dissatisfaction about
the U.S. decision to impose penalty tariffs against the imports of
Chinese coated free sheet paper, Wang Xinpei, spokesman for China's
Ministry of Commerce, said early Saturday.
The Department of Commerce of the United States on Friday
announced its preliminary decision to apply U.S. anti-subsidy law
to the imports of coated free sheet paper from China.
"This action of the U.S. side goes against the consensus reached
by the leaders of both countries to resolve disputes through
dialogue," Wang said.
"China strongly requires the U.S. side to reconsider the
decision and make prompt changes," the spokesman said, adding China
will closely watch the development of the issue and protect its own
legitimate rights.
In 1984 the United States set the policy of not applying
anti-subsidy law to non-market economies. Such a practice had been
taken as a judicial precedent and had not been changed, Wang
said.
The preliminary decision of the U.S. Commerce Department made a
bad instance and it obviously does not conform with the current
judicial precedent of U.S. courts and the consistent practice of
the U.S. Commerce Department, the spokesman said.
While regarding China as a non-market economy, the U.S. ignored
the strong protests from China and decided to apply its
anti-subsidy law. "The decision brings great harm to the interests
and feelings of Chinese business people and is not acceptable,"
Wang said.
From 2005 to 2006, imports of coated free sheet paper products
from China increased 177 percent in volume, and were estimated to
be 224 million dollars in value in 2006.
In early February this year, the U.S. government made a
complaint to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, alleging
that China was offering improper subsidies in steel, paper,
semi-conductor and other sectors to make its companies more
competitive in world markets.
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(Xinhua News Agency March 31, 2007)
