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Ministry urges impartiality in China-US poultry dispute probe

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-08-01 10:39

China hoped experts of the World Trade Organization (WTO) would be "impartial" and "just" in handling the Sino-US poultry trade dispute, Ministry of Commerce spokesperson Yao Jian said Friday.

Yao's comment in a statement came after the WTO decided Friday to convene an expert panel, at China's request, to investigate and rule whether a US ban on Chinese poultry imports violated WTO regulations.

The United States has completely banned imports of poultry products from China since 2007, through its annual appropriation acts and other measures, said the statement.

Related readings:  China requests WTO panel to probe US poultry import ban  China hopes to resolve Sino-US poultry import ban dispute  US ban on China poultry imports slammed  MOC: US poultry-import ban to affect bilateral trade environment

These unilateral measures fundamentally violated WTO rules, and significantly disrupted the normal poultry meat trade between China and the United States, Yao said in the statement.

Such measures are typical acts of protectionism, which the Chinese government and enterprises strongly opposed, Yao said.

The Chinese government was resolved to defend the legal rights of Chinese poultry meat producers under WTO rules.

It usually takes 45 days for a WTO expert panel to be set up, and panelists need at least six months to examine a dispute and give a final ruling.