China: U.S.'s Updated Report on Chinese Trade Practices Is 'Totally Unacceptable'
November 22 2018 - 3:26AM
Dow Jones News
BEIJING--China's Commerce Ministry criticized an updated U.S.
report on Beijing's trade practices that says the country has
coerced American companies to hand over leading-edge
technology.
The report disregards facts and is "totally unacceptable," said
spokesman Gao Feng at a routine briefing Thursday.
He said officials from the two countries are maintaining "close
contacts" before a planned meeting between President Xi Jinping and
President Trump later this month. Mr. Gao called on the U.S. to
cease all remarks and actions that could harm the bilateral
relationship.
The U.S. trade representative's office Tuesday released a
50-page report on Chinese trade practices, which updates a study
issued in March. The revised report said China continues to use
unfair practices to illicitly obtain U.S. technology, including
cybertheft, espionage and government pressure.
The Trump administration has used the March report as the basis
for levying tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese goods, about half of
what China sends to the U.S. annually.
At Thursday's briefing, Mr. Gao said that the government is
evaluating possible measures Washington could adopt to restrict
U.S. technology companies' exports and that it would implement
measures to protect the domestic industry's interests.
--Lin Zhu
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
November 22, 2018 04:11 ET (09:11 GMT)
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