經濟廣角:中國反制美國製裁 兩國貿易關係惡化

China, US Ratchet Up Dispute Over Certain Goods
China said Sunday that it would review complaints about U.S. exporters of chicken and auto products following Washington's decision to impose punitive sanctions on Chinese tire imports, raising tensions in a trade dispute ahead of two planned meetings between the countries' leaders.

While some observers here say that overall, ties between China and the U.S. should remain unharmed, the measures add to worries about trade protectionism amid rising unemployment around the world.

The Obama administration said Friday that it would slap stiff tariffs on Chinese-made tires for the next three years. Citing a jump in Chinese imports, the administration invoked a rule China agreed to when it joined the World Trade Organization in 2001. The effect, experts say, is likely to wipe out Chinese tire exports to the U.S. during this period.

China responded quickly. Sunday, the Ministry of Commerce said it was starting so-called antidumping procedures against U.S. exporters into China of chicken and auto products. It said it had received complaints from local producers that the U.S. products were being dumped in China at below-market prices. The ministry denied that the move was protectionism.

'China has consistently opposed trade protectionism, and the country's actions since the financial crisis have reflected this stance,' a statement on the ministry's Web site said. 'China is willing to continue to act in accordance with countries around the world to push forward the world's economic recovery.'

The announcement doesn't mean sanctions will be invoked. It didn't specify the timing or the exact kinds of goods involved.

The choice of the two export categories -- chicken and auto products -- could also be a sign that China's response is likely to be measured. Both have been part of a battle between China and the U.S. in which both sides have already instituted trade-restricting measures, so the new actions may not measurably hurt exporters. China has already effectively blocked U.S. exports of poultry products in retaliation for a similar U.S. block of Chinese poultry. And earlier this year, China raised tariffs on imported auto parts.

Still, Sunday's actions were a clear sign of Chinese displeasure. Earlier over the weekend, the government-run Xinhua news agency said in a commentary that the U.S. sanctions were political pandering by a president trying to secure union votes in his battle for a health-care overhaul. 'It is a huge regret that crucial China-U.S. trade relations are once again disrupted by [domestic] political disputes,' the agency said.

People close to the government said China will have to slap tariffs on the U.S. goods. Mei Xinyu, a researcher at a think tank that reports to China's Ministry of Commerce, said China has historically avoided taking countermeasures in trade disputes but that it shouldn't be shy now.

'China should bring into effect retaliatory measures this time, such as high punitive import tariffs on American imports,' Mr. Mei said. He also said China should avoid taking the issue to the WTO because such complaints take years to resolve. 'America will achieve its goals if China tries to resolve this dispute through the WTO,' he said.

Foreign business leaders in China said the U.S. decision almost invited Chinese retaliation. James Zimmerman, a Beijing-based American lawyer, said politics and trade can't be separated but that 'overt political posturing welcomes a like response. We can expect the tit-for-tat political posturing going forward and in a way that may be damaging to U.S. commercial interests.'

Foreign businesses operating in China have argued, however, that China is itself engaging in protectionism. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China recently released a catalog of business complaints chronicling a deteriorating atmosphere for foreign enterprises operating in China. The country's recent stimulus package, for example, in some cases favored domestic manufacturers, the EU Chamber said.

The dispute isn't likely to prevent Chinese President Hu Jintao from meeting U.S. President Barack Obama later this month at an economic summit in Pittsburgh. Mr. Obama is set to visit China in mid-November to discuss the economy as well as climate change and controlling North Korea's nuclear ambitions.

Chinese officials 'are definitely going to do something to express their dissatisfaction, but it won't be serious,' said Yan Xuetong, director of Tsinghua University's Institute of International Studies. 'The two sides need each other.'

中國週日表示，將啓動針對美國向中國出口肉雞和汽車產品的審查。此前，美國政府決定對從中國進口的輪胎徵收懲罰性關稅。中國此舉在兩國領導人擬進行的兩次會談前加劇了中美間一場貿易糾紛的緊張氣氛。

儘管中國的一些觀察人士說，總體而言，中美關係並未受到損害，但這些措施令人進一步擔憂，由於世界各國失業率的上升，貿易保護主義可能愈演愈烈。

奧巴馬政府上週五稱，將在未來三年中對中國產輪胎徵收懲罰性關稅。美國政府稱，由於從中國進口的輪胎大幅增加，決定引用中國在2001年加入世界貿易組織(WTO)時同意的一項規則。專家說，此舉可能會扼殺中國在此期間對美國的輪胎出口。

中國方面迅速做出了反應。週日，商務部表示將對美國向中國出口的肉雞和汽車產品展開所謂的反傾銷審查。商務部稱，近期，商務部收到國內產業申請，反映上述產品以低於市場的價格在中國境內傾銷。商務部否認此舉屬於保護主義。

商務部網站的聲明中稱，中國一貫堅決反對貿易保護主義。金融危機以來，中國以自己的實際行動證明了這一點。中國願繼續與世界各國共同行動，推動世界經濟儘快復甦。

這份聲明並不意味着將會實施制裁。聲明也未說明具體的時間或所涉及商品的具體類別。

選擇肉雞和汽車產品這兩個出口類別也顯示，中國的反應預計會是有節制的。這兩個領域一直是中美爭執的內容之一，雙方已經採取了貿易限制措施，因此新的行動對出口商的損害可能不會很大。由於美國封鎖了中國家禽的對美出口，作爲報復，中國實際上也已封鎖了美國家禽的對華出口。今年初，中國提高了對進口汽車輪胎的關稅。

不過，週日的措施明顯顯示出中國的不滿。週末早些時候，國營媒體新華社在評論中說，美國的制裁是奧巴馬玩弄的政治花招，旨在換取工會對政府醫療改革計劃的支持。文章中說，貿易問題再次成爲美國內政治角力的犧牲品，實在令世人遺憾。

與政府關係密切的人士說，中國將被迫對美國產品徵收懲罰性關稅。商務部下屬一家研究機構的研究員梅新育說，中國過去一直不願在貿易糾紛中採取反制措施，但這次不應該退縮了。

梅新育說，中國這次應該採取相當於報復措施的行動，如對從美國進口的產品徵收懲罰性關稅。他還說，中國應避免將問題訴諸WTO，因爲此類投訴需要數年時間才能解決。他說，如果中國希望通過WTO解決糾紛，美國就實現了它的目的。

駐中國的外國商界領袖說，美國的決定幾乎是在邀請中國採取報復行動。在北京工作的美國律師吉莫曼(James Zimmerman)說，政治和貿易無法分開，但明顯的政治姿態會招致同樣的反應。我們可以預料，這種一報還一報的政治做法將會延續下去，並可能損害美國的商業利益。

不過，在中國經營的外國企業表示，中國本身也在採取保護主義。中國歐盟商會(European Union Chamber of Commerce in China)最近就發表了一份企業投訴，列舉了在華外企不斷惡化的經營環境。歐盟商會舉例說，中國最近推出的經濟刺激方案有時就傾向於國內製造商。

這次糾紛不太可能阻止中國國家主席胡錦濤本月晚些時候在匹茲堡的經濟峯會上同奧巴馬會談。奧巴馬定於11月中旬訪問中國，討論經濟、氣候變化以及控制朝鮮核野心的問題。

清華大學國際問題研究所所長閻學通說，中國官員一定會以某種方式表達他們的不滿，但這不會帶來嚴重後果。雙方誰也離不開對方。