China opposes US subsidy probe into thermal paper

BEIJING—China firmly opposes a decision of the United States to initiate combined anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations into Chinese-made lightweight thermal paper, a spokesman for the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement Friday.
The U.S. Department of Commerce made the decision on Oct. 29. The spokesman said, “This is the seventh combined anti-dumping and anti-subsidy probe the United States has initiated targeting Chinese products.
“So many combined anti-dumping and anti-subsidy investigations launched by the United States against Chinese products in a short period of time have caused strong discontent in the Chinese industry,” the spokesman said.
The U.S. moves were unhelpful for the development of a harmonious, healthy trade relationship between China and the United States, which was mutually beneficial, according to the spokesman.
“Such moves have complicated the economic and trade relations between China and the United States, and are unwise and wrong,” the spokesman said. “They sent wrong signals to the U.S. industry and brought unnecessary, huge pressures on both the Chinese and U.S. governments,” he said.
Lightweight thermal paper is widely used for printing tickets and receipts. China said Tuesday it will make joint efforts with the United States to ensure the success of the 18th China-U.S. Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) and the third China-U.S. Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) to be held this December in Beijing.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said the JCCT and SED are an important platform for the two countries to deepen understanding and promote sound development of economic and trade relations. The SED focuses on the strategic, long-term and comprehensive issues within economic relations and the JCCT stresses on the development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation as well as the discussion on specific issues, Liu said.
Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi will chair the two meetings and China is willing to make joint efforts with the U.S. side to ensure the success of the meetings so as to push ahead China-U.S. economic and trade ties, Liu added.—Xinhua