China launches two probes into US trade practices

BEIJING, March 27 (Reuters) – China’s commerce ministry has initiated two counter-probes into U.S. practices that hamper the flow of Chinese products into the United States, it said on Friday, refraining from immediate retaliation to U.S. measures announced earlier this month.

A trade truce between China and the U.S. has held since U.S. President Donald Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October last year. Trump said earlier this week that he will visit Beijing in mid-May, as part of Washington’s broader effort to reset relations in the Asia-Pacific region.

The two Chinese investigations – scheduled to conclude within six months but that could be further extended – are in response to two U.S. Section 301 investigations against China, the ministry said in a statement and described them as reciprocal.

Based on the findings of the investigations, China will take corresponding measures to defend its rights and interests, it said.

Earlier this month, the U.S. launched two trade investigations into excess industrial capacity in 16 trading partners, including China, and into forced labour. During bilateral trade talks in Paris, China expressed concern about the investigations.

In talks with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of a World Trade Organization meeting in Cameroon on Thursday, Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao again expressed concern, but also said China was willing to strengthen economic and trade cooperation.

(Reporting by Ryan Woo; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Barbara Lewis)

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