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Fair trade at center of US commerce secretary's visit to China
AFP ^ | Sat Jun 19, 2004 | AFP

Posted on 06/19/2004 10:29:00 PM PDT by hedgetrimmer

BEIJING (AFP) - US Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans arrived in the ancient capital of Xian for a week-long visit to China, officials said, where he is expected to champion fair trade and seek ways to lower a ballooning trade deficit with the rising Asian nation.

During an 11-day, three-nation trip, Evans will also visit the northeastern city of Harbin and hold formal talks in Beijing before heading on to the June 24 US-EU summit in Ireland and a bilateral trip to Mexico, US officials said.

On Sunday, he is expected to meet with Shaanxi provincial Governor Jin Zhibang, US officials said.

"We are going to continue to look American workers in the eye, all across this country, and tell them we are going to be tough when it comes to enforcing our trade laws and maintaining a level playing field with the rest of the world," Evans said before departing Washington.

"We are also working to open Chinese markets to more American exports. As one of the leading exporters of manufactured goods, it is in China's best interest to eliminate barriers to market access for United States companies."

(Excerpt) Read more at story.news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: china; donaldevans; dumping; fairtrade; freetrade; trade
The trade surplus is now up to $124 billion.

First it was Vicente complaining about outsourcing to China. Now we have US Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, our President and our Commerce Secretary visiting next week.

1 posted on 06/19/2004 10:29:02 PM PDT by hedgetrimmer
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To: hedgetrimmer

where he is expected to champion fair trade

Thankyou Mr. Evans. Is this Administration finally opening up it's eyes and smelling the destruction all across America? Most likely it's merely rhetoric. I'd love to vote for Bush but am supporting another Conservative who will act on jobs for Americans and the illegal invasion. He'd have to do more than talk tho..I've heard it all before.


2 posted on 06/19/2004 10:33:02 PM PDT by ETERNAL WARMING (He is faithful!)
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To: ETERNAL WARMING
Bush and Chao will be in China to argue for workers rights in China,I think. Although I'm not sure what it means for a workforce to 'keep pace with' a country's economic development.

US Labor Secretary Elaine Chao (L) with Presient George W. Bush, will arrive in China Monday for talks aimed at ensuring conditions for the massive and low-priced Chinese workforce 'keep pace with' the country's economic development, her department said.(AFP/File/Manny Ceneta)
3 posted on 06/19/2004 10:38:33 PM PDT by hedgetrimmer
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To: ETERNAL WARMING
See, your read it wrong. By "fair" you have a different definition, while it officially means playing within the rules of the WTO.
4 posted on 06/19/2004 10:47:36 PM PDT by endthematrix (To enter my lane you must use your turn signal!)
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To: ETERNAL WARMING

Who you voting for?


5 posted on 06/19/2004 10:50:29 PM PDT by asmith92008 (If we buy into the nonsense that we always have to vote for RINOs, we'll just end up taking the horn)
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To: hedgetrimmer
"Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao -- the only Asian-American in the cabinet of President George W. Bush -- will join Evans for the Beijing portion of the trip and is expected to raise labor concerns with Chinese leaders."

Is this comment to be read as positive? Kind off a rude dig, eh?

6 posted on 06/19/2004 10:51:33 PM PDT by endthematrix (To enter my lane you must use your turn signal!)
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To: hedgetrimmer

It was my understanding that the first quarter trade deficit this year was something close to $145 billion dollars. This equates to just less than $0.6 trillion dollars per year.

It had been my thought that folks would begin to see the light at around $250 to $300 billion dollars per year. Now we're approaching double that figure and very few people have a problem with the trade deficit at all. The American public give the term sheeple the creedence it deserves.

Our nation is become a satellite of Mexico. We still allow immigration from terrorist states. Our ports and border crossing points allow 99.5% of our import containers to pass unchecked. We are soon to begin allowing Mexican trucks to enter our nation unchecked at the border, free to traverse the nation at will.

Yakov Smirnov said it best. "America! What a country."


7 posted on 06/19/2004 11:27:50 PM PDT by DoughtyOne
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To: DoughtyOne

The time to insist on fair trade is NOT after you have signed a trade agreement or sponsored a nation into the WTO. The bargaining power is gone by then.


8 posted on 06/20/2004 2:55:50 AM PDT by meenie
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To: asmith92008
Who you voting for?

What difference does that make? Is it not possible to have differences with Bush's policies and still hold your nose and vote for him?

9 posted on 06/20/2004 4:37:58 AM PDT by raybbr (My 1.4 cents - It used to be 2 cents, but after taxes - you get the idea.)
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To: hedgetrimmer

That's nice. Maybe the Chinese will give us enough concessions so that we can go back to complaining about cheap foreign steel somewhere else. And the Chinese can go back to imprisoning dissidents and plotting against Taiwan. Helps to have ones priorities straight, especially in an election year.


10 posted on 06/20/2004 8:36:06 AM PDT by dr_who_2
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To: raybbr
Not at all. That's the position I'm in as well. I didn't mean any criticism. From the post I replied to it made it seem as if you were voting for a conservative other than Bush and I was just curious as to who it would be. Believe me, when I want to get snarky and criticize someone, I'm not subtle about it.
11 posted on 06/20/2004 7:10:21 PM PDT by asmith92008 (If we buy into the nonsense that we always have to vote for RINOs, we'll just end up taking the horn)
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To: asmith92008

Sorry. My mistake. I am getting so used to getting flamed for criticizing Bush's policies on trade that I just assume the least bit of criticism invites derision.


12 posted on 06/21/2004 4:03:26 AM PDT by raybbr (My 1.4 cents - It used to be 2 cents, but after taxes - you get the idea.)
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To: raybbr

No ptoblem. Same situation here.


13 posted on 06/21/2004 7:59:51 AM PDT by asmith92008 (If we buy into the nonsense that we always have to vote for RINOs, we'll just end up taking the horn)
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