China trade meeting underway in China

China trade meeting underway in China    The 16th Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT) is underway this week in Beijing, where U.S. officials will be addressing trade issues ranging from training to intellectual property rights.
   The U.S. trade delegation is being led by Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez. He is being joined by U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman, Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns, and U.S. Trade and Development Agency director Thelma J. Askey.
   The USTDA said that Askey announced the agency will provide funding support for activities totaling more than $3 million. Those activities include three training programs to assist in opening the Chinese market to agricultural biotechnology project, strengthening intellectual property rights protection in China, and strengthening bank lending practices. The agency is also providing three grants to help China’s development in the areas of civil aviation, clean energy, and petrochemicals.
   Askey also signed a $523,869 grant agreement with Hunnan International Technopolis Shenyang to fund a feasibility study on developing an integrated coal gasification, power generation and district-heating project in Shenyang, China. The study is designed to promote the use of clean energy production technology in China.