Vice-Premier claims US lost US$70b last year because of restrictions on selling sensitive equipment to mainland
Vice-Premier Wu Yi has said responsibility for resolving America's trade imbalance with the mainland rests on its own shoulders and has urged the loosening of export controls on hi-tech products.
She also defended the pace of yuan appreciation and warned that any sudden adjustments would damage the interests of both countries.
'To simply rely on the Chinese side's hard work is not enough to change the US trade imbalance with China. The US side must also adopt sincere and effective policies,' Ms Wu told business leaders in Washington on Thursday night.
The event was the finale of her four-day US visit, which included the two-day Strategic Economic Dialogue.
Earlier in the day, she met President George W. Bush and members of Congress. In a forceful yet polite speech, Ms Wu urged the US to steer clear of protectionist sentiment and to widen the range of hi-tech products that could be sold to the mainland.
Washington imposes stringent controls on exports of its most-sophisticated products to the mainland for fear that they may have military applications.
