US proposals to expand licence requirements for high-technology companies exporting to China will stifle business and increase uncertainty over bilateral trade, the Ministry of Commerce said last week.

If approved, the rule proposed by the US Department of Commerce and the Bureau of Industry and Security would set "unreasonable obstacles" to trade and harm the interests of firms in both countries, Chong Quan, the ministry spokesman, says.

He was referring to the proposed US rule on exports particularly, high-technology products to China, which would require licences for many items not currently controlled. It would affect 47 categories of high-tech products.

TV standard set

The Chinese Government finally released the nation's digital TV terrestrial transmission standard last week, but it will take some time before digital terrestrial broadcasting becomes a significant business in the world's largest TV market.

The Standardization Administration of China says on its website that the proposal for the transmission standard was approved on August 18 as the compulsory national standard, and will be effective from August 1 next year.

Along with 3G mobile communications, the digitalization of China's broadcasting is regarded as a lucrative market, which could be worth over 1 trillion yuan (US$125 billion).

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