Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai said here Wednesday that it was an "unwise" move of the United States to re-impose quotas on three types of apparel imports from China.

In a meeting with President Thomas Donohue of the US Chamber of Commerce, Bo said China is in strong opposition to such a decision made by the United States, which has failed to abide by the spirit of free trade encouraged by the US itself.

Economic and trade cooperation between China and the United States has witnessed rapid growth the past 20 years, indicating the complementarity and reasonableness of the Sino-US economic and trade ties, Bo said.

"China and the United States should increase consultations and cooperation to properly resolve issues arising from economic and trade relations between the two sides," he noted.

The development of textile trade between China and the United States accords with the common interests of both sides, he said, noting that US importers, retailers and consumers all gain obvious profits from Chinese textile exports to the United States.

Moreover, over a half of the Chinese textile exports are made by foreign-funded companies in China, the minister acknowledged.

Actually in Sino-US trade, both China and the United States have their advantages and gain their benefits from each other, Bo said, noting that the Sino-US trade relations should be treated from an overall view.

"We should not spoil the overall situation for some trivial matters," he said.

Integration of textile trade is am important right enjoyed by China after accessing into the World Trade Organization, Bo stressed, saying that China will not set up restrictions on its own textile exports, since it violates the WTO agreements on trade of textile and apparel products.

"Under current integration of world textile trade, we should not setback issues concerning basic principles," Bo noted.

The US Chamber of Commerce plays a vital role in promoting economic and trade cooperation between China and the United States, he said, hoping that the Chamber would further promote exchanges within business circles of the two countries, in a bid to create more favorable conditions for bilateral cooperation.

Donohue said US business circles attach great importance to the development of economic and trade relations with China. The US Chamber of Commerce would like to provide US business and political circles with information conducive to US-China economic and trade ties, to further close cooperation with China, to jointly solve problems and to promote the growth of trade and investment between the two countries.

The two sides also had an exchange of views on balanced trade between China and the United States and protection of intellectual property rights.

US Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez announced Friday that the US government has decided to re-impose quotas on three types of apparel imports from China, including cotton knit shirts, cotton trousers, cotton and man-made fiber underwear.

Source: Xinhua