HANGZHOU, China (AP) | U.S. officials will raise perennial trade issues, including copyright piracy and Chinese restrictions on U.S. farm products, in talks Thursday that are expected to reduce frictions ahead of President Obama’s first visit to China.
Before the annual talks, held in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said he hoped for progress on protecting intellectual property, clean energy, medical devices and pharmaceuticals — the sorts of nuts-and-bolts issues the gathering will focus on.
On Wednesday, Mr. Locke and U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk observed the signing of a joint venture agreement between a China’s state-run Zhejiang Construction Materials Corp. and Harrisburg, Pa.-based Harsco Corp. — the kind of job-creating deal the U.S. side would like to see more of.
“The profound reality is that trade means jobs and this joint venture means good jobs in both America and here,” Mr. Kirk said.
Washington and Beijing have regularly butted heads over trade disputes this year, and China sharply criticized an Obama administration decision last month to impose stiff tariffs on Chinese tire imports to protect U.S. manufacturers.
“As we grow and expand, inevitably we’re going to have challenges and problems we have to deal with. We need an open relationship in which we can speak openly of our disagreements,” Jon Huntsman, the U.S. ambassador to China, said Wednesday.
Thursday’s session of the U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade “is very important because it will set the direction for years to come in respect to investment and trade,” he said.
U.S. officials have said they do not expect any of the various simmering disputes to undo progress in other areas, or to sour overall ties. Mr. Obama will make his first visit to China on Nov. 15-18.
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