US trade official to urge open markets, 'a fair playing field' during China trip

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk said that he and Commerce Secretary John Bryson will head to China shortly after the Nov. 12-13 Asia-Pacific summit in Hawaii hosted by President Barack Obama.

During the annual dialogue with China known as the Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, Kirk said he would press long-standing U.S. charges that Beijing unfairly favors its state-owned enterprises.

“If we have full and unfettered access to China's market as their exporters do to ours, the economic impact to U.S. businesses could be extraordinary,” Kirk said at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

“We will use and do use every opportunity we have to engage with China to ask China to do one simple thing — live up to the commitments you made when we granted you permanent, normal trade relation status and invited you into the World Trade Organization,” he said.

The U.S. Congress in 2000 decided to give China normal trading status, ending often rancorous annual votes in which lawmakers scrutinized the growing Asian power's record on trade and human rights.

China regularly defends its record against U.S. charges. While not mentioning the United States by name, Premier Wen Jiabao earlier this month warned that protectionism was rising and would slow down the troubled global economy.

The U.S. Senate last week confirmed Bryson, a businessman, as commerce secretary to replace Gary Locke, who became ambassador to China.

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