US Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez started a five-day visit to China on Monday, focusing on export opportunities for U.S.-based enterprises and bilateral trade issues.

Gutierrez is accompanied by a "high-powered mission" consisting of 25 big firms, including companies already operating in China such as Lucent Technologies or McGraw-Hill, and newcomers like Westinghouse and America's second-largest insurance company Aon Group.

By helping American firms expand their exports to China, the mission aims to reduce the US trade deficit with China, according to a statement from the US Department of Commerce.

Gutierrez told US media before his departure that the United States had significant opportunities to increase its export volume to China.

Experts with China's Ministry of Commerce said both sides have been making active efforts to develop trade relations after China and the United States initiated a Sino-US strategic dialogue mechanism in September.

But Mei Xinyu with the Research Institute of the Ministry of Commerce said it was "unrealistic" to expect to reverse the trend in the short term.

"China's trade surplus with the United States will continue to rise," he predicted.

China's trade surplus with the United States grew to 102.2 billion U.S. dollars in the first nine months this year, which served to strain relations between China and its major trading partner.

In its five-year plan (2006-2010), the Ministry of Commerce is aiming to reduce the trade surplus by increasing imports.

It is learned Gutierrez had talks with his Chinese counterpart Bo Xilai to discuss hot topics like the trade imbalance and intellectual property rights.

Gutierrez will stay in Beijing for two days before leaving for Shanghai on Wednesday to participate in a series of meetings.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai has arranged a luncheon to welcome Gutierrez on Wednesday, where he will deliver a speech on the current US-China trade situation and prospects for the future.

Sources said the luncheon is sold out.

Analysts say the fundamental cause of the trade imbalance is China's high savings rates and the hegemonic position of the dollar in the international currency system.

They also noted that the US policy of limiting high-tech exports to China restricts its overall export performance.

Source: Xinhua