COMMERCE DEPARTMENT TRIES TO RESOLVE EXPORT CONCERNS WITH CHINA

COMMERCE DEPARTMENT TRIES TO RESOLVE EXPORT CONCERNS WITH CHINA    Officials from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security are working with the Chinese government to resolve export control concerns lingering between the countries.
   The United States is China’s second-largest trade partner and the largest non-Chinese investor. U.S. shippers have become increasingly dependent on shipments to and from this developing market.
   But U.S. export regulators remain concerned about China’s weapons exporting activities.
   “China has on a number of occasions exported missile and nuclear-related items to countries of concern,” said Kenneth I. Juster, U.S. undersecretary of commerce at the Update 2002 Export Controls and Policy Conference in Washington on Thursday. “In addition, we are always mindful of the possibility that sensitive U.S. items and technologies that are authorized for export to China for commercial end-uses may be diverted for use in military projects that pose national security concerns.”
   At the same time, the Bureau of Industry and Security is taking steps to enhance trade with China in high-technology items without jeopardizing U.S. national security.
   “We have engaged the Chinese and are working on a plan to broaden the effectiveness of end-use visits that the bureau performs in China,” Juster said. “Such visits — which are similar to those that we do with each of our trading partners — help ensure that strategically sensitive exports are not diverted to Chinese military end-users, and thereby strengthen confidence in U.S.-China high technology trade.”
   Bureau officials are also working with the State Department to revive the country’s export control cooperation program with China.
   “If we are successful in these efforts to enhance the Chinese export control system, we may be able to resolve some of our proliferation concerns,” Juster said. “Success in these areas will have the added benefit of increasing confidence in the bilateral relationship generally, which could allow for greater trade in high-technology items.”
   “In short, we are working hard on a number of fronts to try to make progress in this most complex of our trading relationships,” he added. “Success will ultimately depend upon the cooperation of the Chinese government and the cooperation of industry.”