US censure cannot solve trade issues

BEIJING - A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday that U.S. lawmakers' censure on China over trade issues cannot solve the U.S. problems.

Spokesman Hong Lei made the remarks at a daily news briefing in response to a question concerning four senior U.S. lawmakers pressing the U.S. government to take action on longstanding complaints about trade with China.

"Blaming China over trade issues cannot solve the own problems of the United States," said Hong. "The U.S. side should do more things that are conducive to mutual trust and cooperation with China, as this accords with its own interests."

The top Republicans and Democrats on the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee said in a letter to senior Obama administration officials on Friday that they are "concerned that China continues to move away from market-based reforms and is more deeply embracing an economic model dominated by state-owned enterprises, World Trade Organization-inconsistent subsidies, and economic protectionism."

The letter came ahead of the annual meeting of the China-U.S. Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, which is expected to be held this month.

Calling the essence of China-U.S. trade relations "mutually beneficial," Hong said the two sides should properly resolve their disputes on the principle of mutual understanding and benefit as well as peaceful negotiations.

"We hope both sides can make the best of platforms like the China-U.S. Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, deepen bilateral cooperation and resolve contradictions so as to boost the healthy and stable development of China-U.S. trade relations on a mutually beneficial and win-win basis," he said.