Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and US
President George W. Bush, whose countries are engaged in increasing
trade disputes, will meet in Washington on Dec. 9, the White House
announced on Wednesday.
Wen, making a four-state tour which
will also include Canada, Mexico and Ethiopia, will be on his first
visit to the United States since he became premier in March.
Although relations between the two
states have improved markedly in recent years, disagreements over
trade and economic issues have grown.
This month, the Bush administration
decided to impose quotas and dumping-duties on Chinese textile
products and TV makers. China responded by critising the decision
as discriminatory and unfair.
Beijing recently announced it would
raise duties on some US goods in response to US tariffs on steel
imposed a year and a half ago.
China has called for consultations
to mend the trade rift, which has fanned fears in Asia that the
United States is growing more protectionists.
"The president looks forward to
holding discussions with the premier on the full range of issues on
the US-China agenda and to continue building a candid, constructive
and cooperative bilateral relationship," White House spokeswoman
Claire Buchan told reporters in Crawford, where Bush was on
vacation.
Moreover, as the most important and
sensitive issue in the Sino-US relationship, the Taiwan question
will also be high on the agenda between Wen and Bush, according to
the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Wen will discuss bilateral
relations and other major international issues of concern when
meeting US President George W. Bush and other US leaders, said
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao earlier this week.
The premier will also attend
several functions in Washington DC, New York and Boston during his
December 7-10 stay.
(Xinhua News Agency November 28,
2003)