MNI POLICY: Qualcomm-NXP Deal Not Related to Trade War: MOFCOM

By Iris Ouyang

     BEIJING (MNI) - China's Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) held a regular weekly

press conference on Thursday. MNI summarises the major highlights from the

briefing based on a statement on MOFCOM's website:

     - China and the U.S. are not in contact to resume trade talks, Gao said,

stressing that "the preconditions for negotiations are integrity and

trustworthiness."

     - No comment was provided on whether the Chinese regulatory authorities

will approve the Qualcomm-NXP deal; however, MOFCOM spokesman Gao Feng pointed

out that the matter is an anti-trust issue and is not linked to the ongoing

U.S.-China trade tensions.

     - The U.S. has initiated and escalated trade conflicts everywhere, and this

unreasonable behaviour illustrates a lack of responsibility, he said, adding

that blackmail will not work with China.

     - In response to a reporter's question on China's attitudes towards the

U.S.-EU trade talks in Washington on Wednesday, after which both sides stated

that no additional tariffs will be imposed while discussions are ongoing, Gao

said that China will closely watch whether the agreements will be implemented

and stated that Beijing supports the U.S.-EU objective to reform the WTO.

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

--MNI London Bureau; +44 207-862-7489; email: ukeditorial@marketnews.com

--MNI London Bureau; tel: +44 203-586-2225; email: les.commons@marketnews.com

[TOPICS: M$A$$$,M$Q$$$,MGQ$$$]