China-US trade talks commence in Washington

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China-US trade talks commence in Washington

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The US and China started talks on economic, human rights, and foreign policy issues in Washington.

10 May,2011 10:22 am

Though the Obama administration has vowed to work with China to pursue mutual interests, the alliance is uneasy as both delegations are navigating a host of sticking points in bilateral relations.Chinas monetary policies, Washingtons spiraling trade deficit with Beijing, and the recent uptick in crackdown on dissent under Chinese President Hu Jintao all loom over the latest installment of the annual US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.In opening the talks, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, the head of the US delegation, said Washington and Beijing both have much more to gain from cooperation than from conflict.But US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke plan to press Beijing on what US manufacturers say are unfair trade practices, including currency manipulation.Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan, the countrys top economic policymaker and the leader of the Chinese delegation at the talks, said further opening up the economy would not happen overnight and urged Washington to refrain from politicising trade.The US trade deficit with China in 2010 was a record $273 billion.