Agenda set for Sino-US economic, trade meeting

A spokesman for China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said on Wednesday that China and the United States will exchange in-depth views on economic and trade issues at the upcoming 23rd meeting of the China-U.S. Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT). China hopes the United States will respond positively to the concerns of the Chinese side, and together build a Sino-U.S. partnership of mutual respect and win-win results, said Shen Danyang of the meeting, set to be held in Washington from Dec. 18 to 19. Shen said that China and the United States are closely tied in commerce and trade, with each being the other's second-largest trade partner. In 2011, the two countries' bilateral trade volume hit 446.6 billion U.S. dollars, according to official Chinese statistics. Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan will co-chair the upcoming meeting with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Commerce Rebecca Blank and Trade Representative Ron Kirk, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said on Wednesday. The JCCT is a platform for China and the United States to promote bilateral trade ties and address issues of mutual concern. It has held 22 meetings since its establishment in 1983.