The United States will revise some of its proposed export controls on the sale of high technology products to China, says Christopher Padilla, Assistant US Secretary of Commerce for Export Administration.

 

Padilla is in China from Jan. 24 to 30 at the invitation of the Ministry of Commerce.

 

"The reason I'm here is to hear views from the Chinese government to see what their concerns are, and we will take those into account as we go back and make some revisions to that regulation (on export controls)," Padilla told reporters at the US embassy on Friday afternoon.

 

"We are expected to issue the final form of the regulation sometime later this spring," said Padilla, who is responsible for developing and implementing US policies on the export of items controlled for national security, foreign policy and non-proliferation reasons.

 

But Padilla did not reveal what the changes would be, saying they required more discussion.

 

The proposed export control rules were released by the US Department of Commerce on July 6 last year. The rules add civilian-use, high-tech products to the US government's export control list and could set up new trade barriers and hinder the exchange of high-technologies.

 

The move sparked dissatisfaction among US business circles and China has repeatedly urged the US administration to ease export controls.

 

However, Padilla said the restrictions would probably affect only a small amount of trade.

 

"Our control is very targeted, only affecting about five percent of US exports to China."

 

The proposed export controls also would expand the list of high-tech products requiring an export license to 47 categories.

 

"Less than one percent of US high-tech exports to China require licenses from the US government. We have seen large growth of our exports of high-tech products to China since China entered the WTO," he said.

 

Padilla said he had very detailed discussions on export controls with officials from China's Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

 

He said the discussions were "productive and friendly", and the Chinese side expressed concerns over specific areas.

 

The United States and China shared common interests in export controls, particularly in preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Padilla said.

 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said earlier that easing the export controls would benefit the United States by balancing trade.

 

Padilla will also visit Shenzhen, southern China's Guangdong Province, where he will deliver a speech at a seminar on high-tech trade and export controls.

 

(Xinhua News Agency January 27, 2007)