China urges US to be fair on high-tech exports

China welcomes measures by the United States to expand bilteral trade of high-tech items, but calls for the U.S. to take its concerns and interests into consideration including control over exports.

According to a report Saturday on Xinhua news site, China's Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Shen Dayang noted that while the country believed measures taken by the U.S. were conducive to expanding bilateral trade of high-tech items, it still had not seen "any substantial moves" from the U.S. to relax control over its exports to the Asian economy.

Shen added that China hoped the U.S. would "earnestly fulfill its commitments and change discriminatory practices placed on China". He further elaborated that while the U.S. was reforming its export control, it should also treat China fairly, attach importance to and address China's major concerns, and subsequently, relax control over China-bound exports. 

"These measures will be beneficial for expanding bilateral trade and promoting trade balance between the two countries, and are in line with the mutual interests of both sides," the Chinese official said.

Shen was responding to the U.S. ambassador to China, Gary Locke's remarks made in Shanghai about control of exports to China. According to China Daily, Locke last week said 46 out of 141 high-tech items requested by China would be granted approval and some of these might not need a license at all. He explained that the U.S. government was in the midst of a major reform and adopting a simplification process which would enable more high-tech goods to be exported to China.

"We need additional details from China on the remaining requested items, so that we can determine whether and under what conditions they can be exported," he said.