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The world's two biggest economies are locked in an escalating
tariff row, with President Donald Trump having railed against
China for what he sees as intellectual property theft, entry
barriers to U.S. business and a gaping U.S. trade deficit.
Set to run from Nov. 5 to Nov. 10, the China International
Import Expo will bring together thousands of foreign and Chinese
companies, aiming to boost imports, allay foreign concern about
China's trade practices and show readiness to narrow trade gaps.
But the United States does not plan to send senior government
officials to the fair, a U.S. embassy spokesman said on
Wednesday, urging China to end what he called harmful and unfair
trade practices.
Speaking at a daily news briefing, Chinese foreign ministry
spokeswoman Hua Chunying said that it was the right of the
United States to send whoever they wanted, adding:
"The United States, on the one hand, asks China to open its
markets to U.S. products and services, yet on the other hand,
the United States is not willing to send anyone to come when we
open the door and invite people from all over."
"This way of speaking and acting, I think everyone will believe,
as I do, is extremely contradictory and hard to understand," she
said.
The import fair shows that China is willing to open its doors to
other countries and share the benefits of Chinese development,
Hua added.
More 130 countries and 2,800 companies have decided to take
part, including 180 U.S. companies such as Microsoft Corp <MSFT.O>,
Disney <DIS.N> and Intel Corp <INTC.O>, she said.
"Many U.S. companies have said to China that they wish to make
full use of this expo to increase cooperation between Chinese
companies and regions and U.S. companies and regions and to
create a more effective platform for this," Hua said.
China has said British trade minister Liam Fox will attend,
while diplomats say most major trading partners will send
delegations, including some that have been critical of its trade
practices, such as Australia, Canada, France and Germany.
President Xi Jinping announced the import expo in early 2017 and
is expected to speak at its opening.
However, some critics have dismissed the event, which China
plans to hold every year, as largely a propaganda effort.
(Reporting by Christian Shepherd; Writing by Ben Blanchard;
Editing by Robert Birsel)
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