Another Chinese procurement delegation will buy soybeans from American farms across the Pacific Ocean on Dec.17.

The US Bean Association also confirmed on Dec. 4 that Chinese delegations for soybeans procurement would arrive in the US on Dec. 17 and 18. Moreover, the schedule of Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to the US was also set. He will get to the US on Dec.7.

The US Soybeans Association is the host which has invited the Chinese delegation for soybean procurement and will arrange meetings between the Chinese delegation and their American counterparts. The delegation was cancelled two weeks ago because of the Sino-US trade friction. But now their trip resumed.

On Nov. 13, China signed a big deal with Americans in the US, purchasing 30 Boeing 737 planes and 4500 US made cars. This order really delighted Americans who grudged at their trade deficit with China.

But that was followed by the US textile quotas on Chinese textile products and ruling of Chinese TV dumping case. Because of this, the second farm products procurement delegation originally scheduled to leave for America on Nov. 18 called off their trip.

As learned a small purchasing delegation may have gone to the US during that period. Zhou Wenzhong, vice minister of Foreign Affairs disclosed that China had sent two purchasing delegations to America before this one for soybeans. He also said that schedule of the other delegations were still in the planning.

Premier Wen will meet representatives from American industrial workers during his four-day visit in the US.

As a matter of fact, Chinese products exported to the US from the labor intensive enterprises in China have saved USD 20b for American families every year. 90 percent of the exports from China to the US are labor intensive products which Americans are less willing to make. Despite all of this, China still holds sincerity of easing trade frictions between the two countries. And this is why Chinese procurement delegations are in the US so frequently.

(People's Daily December 8, 2003)