Trade Talks Are On With China

BEIJING (AP) -- The U.S. and China hold trade talks this week that are expected to tackle a number of thorny issues. Chief among them will likely be the safety of Chinese products and China's huge

Monday, December 10th 2007, 6:34 am

By: News On 6

BEIJING (AP) -- The U.S. and China hold trade talks this week that are expected to tackle a number of thorny issues. Chief among them will likely be the safety of Chinese products and China's huge trade surplus, which hit $233 billion last year. The issue of intellectual property rights could also be on the agenda.

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will sit down with Chinese officials Wednesday outside Beijing. Both sides are emphasizing the growing interdependence of the U.S. and Chinese economies.

The Chinese say they're worried about what they see as a protectionist sentiment among U.S. lawmakers. But Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez says the U.S. has learned that "protectionism does not protect."

Agreements are to be signed Tuesday on food and feed product safety, and on drugs and medical devices.