China announced that it has filed its own challenge to a US ban on imports of Chinese poultry. -- PHOTO: AP
BEIJING - CHINA defended its curbs on exports of industrial raw materials against unfair-trade complaints by the United States and the European Union - and announced that it has filed its own challenge to a US ban on imports of Chinese poultry.
The Ministry of Commerce said the curbs are meant to protect the environment and comply with Chinese trade commitments.
The United States and EU filed World Trade Organization complaints on Tuesday accusing Beijing of unfairly favouring its domestic steel, chemicals and other industries by restricting foreign rivals' access to key materials.
'The goal of the Chinese side's policy on the relevant exports is to protect the environment and natural resources, and the Chinese side considers the relevant policy to be compliant with WTO regulations,' the ministry said in a written statement.
It said Beijing hopes to resolve the dispute through dialogue in the WTO.
Separately, the ministry said Beijing has asked the WTO to investigate a US ban on imports of Chinese poultry.
The two countries banned imports of each others' poultry in 2004 following an outbreak of bird flu. Beijing lifted its ban after a few months and complains Washington has failed to follow through on a pledge to open its market to Chinese poultry exports.
'China's poultry products cannot be properly exported to the United States, and this has hurt the legitimate rights of the Chinese poultry industry,' ministry spokesman Yao Jian said in the statement. It said Beijing has asked the WTO dispute resolution mechanism to create a group to investigate the US ban. -- AP
