US-China Business Council Statement on January Trade Talks
WASHINGTON – January 31, 2019 – In response to the White House’s statement about this week’s negotiations in Washington, US-China Business Council (USCBC) President Craig Allen said:
“We understand that this week’s discussions covered familiar ground on structural issues and look forward to hearing details about any progress that was made. The long-standing concerns that foreign companies have about protection of intellectual property rights, technology transfer, and market access in China are ones that we believe are prime for resolution. We urge both governments to use the next month to address these issues.
“We are pleased to learn that both sides have agreed that any outcomes will be fully enforceable. As we have stated repeatedly, a viable outcome must include a regularized, results-oriented government-to-government dialogue that produces measurable, commercially meaningful outcomes addressing the concerns of American companies.
“In addition, any agreement between the governments should include positive incentives when China produces milestone deliverables, including a mechanism for removing US tariffs and Chinese retaliatory tariffs as progress is made. Removal of these tariffs must be a priority.
“It’s clear that changes to the bilateral commercial relationship are underway and overdue. Because the issues are complex, it will take hard work and considerable time to resolve them. The US-China Business Council and its members are committed to working with both governments and private sectors to establish improved rules of the road that will benefit both countries.”