MNI POLICY: China Displays No Progress on Trade Spat With US

     BEIJING (MNI) - China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) on Thursday gave no

sign that trade tensions with the U.S. are easing, suggesting the two sides

remain deadlocked and no talks are proceeding.

     The following are five things MNI learned from a press briefing in Beijing:

     -Spokesman Gao Feng was evasive on possible measures China will take to

counter the U.S. $200 billion tariff list. "China has to and will issue

necessary counter measures," he said.

     -China's large domestic market and strong reform momentum enable it to

counter any external shock, Gao repeated what has often been said since the

trade spat.

     -U.S. charges that China should be responsible for the trade spat were

untrue, Gao said, repeating that the U.S. was waving "tariff stick" to bully its

trade partners.

     -China again said it is for free trade and against protectionism and

unilateralism. Its complaints to the WTO regarding U.S. trade actions is for

defending trade order, Gao said.

     -Beijing is receptive towards any trade or economic agreements helpful for

integration of economies, Gao said in response to a question on China's opinion

on the EU-Japan trade deal announced earlier this week.

--MNI Beijing Bureau; +86 10 8532 5998; email: william.bi@mni-news.com

--MNI Beijing Bureau; +86 (10) 8532-5998; email: iris.ouyang@marketnews.com

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