More US trade friction predicted

 　　BEIJING, Apr. 16 (Xinhuanet) -- China and the United States will experience more trade friction¹ in the high-end manufacturing sector², as Washington protects its domestic industries, officials said on Sunday.

　　Friction will "surely increase" as China and the US both focus on high-end and emerging industries, including new energy and materials, Zhang Xiangchen, director for trade policy research at the Ministry³ of Commerce, said.

　　Another official from the ministry also said that a developing trend sees US protectionism shifting from traditional sectors⁴ to emerging ones.

　　"We can forecast that the US will intensify⁵ trade investigations⁷ against Chinese new-energy exports," said Yu Benlin, deputy director of the ministry's bureau of fair trade for imports and exports.

　　Both officials made the remarks on Sunday at a forum⁸ marking the opening of the Canton Fair in Guangzhou. The fair, also known as the China Import and Export Fair, is a barometer⁹ of the trade sector.

　　The US used to accuse China of giving unfair support to traditional exports such as steel and chemical products. But in the past two years Washington has launched a slew¹⁰ of trade investigations targeting China's new-energy products.

　　The US launched an investigation⁶ against China's new-energy policies in 2010 and then started anti-dumping and countervailing investigations against Chinese solar panels and wind towers over the following 16 months, Yu said. This affected¹¹ exports worth about $3 billion.

　　US protectionism hurts Chinese exporters and industries, Yu said.

　　The US, China's second-largest trade partner, has launched 73 trade investigations against China since 2007. This represents about 16 percent of investigations brought against China by other countries, Yu said. Cases launched by the US covered a combined export value of about $10.3 billion.

　　In a fresh sign of rising trade protectionism, the US set up the Interagency Trade Enforcement Center in February to investigate what it called "unfair trade practices" from its major trading partners, including China, Yu said.

　　Trade investigations from the US sometimes prompted other nations to follow suit, Yu said. For example, when the US imposed anti-dumping duties on Chinese- coated paper in 2006, Brazil, Argentina and Thailand launched similar investigations, which "severely¹² hurt Chinese exporters".

　　Disputes targeting China will become more frequent, Yu said.

　　William Zarit, minister counselor¹³ for commercial affairs at the US embassy in Beijing, said that the world's top two economies "need to build trust" to resolve friction, especially in high-end manufacturing.

　　Rising trade protectionism in China's major exporting destinations has dealt a hard blow to exporters already suffering from slowing global demand.

　　China reported GDP growth of 8.1 percent in the first quarter, the slowest in almost three years as exports and domestic demand cooled, according to data issued on Friday by the National Bureau of Statistics. The government set a goal of 10 percent growth in foreign trade this year.

　　Zhong Shan, deputy minister of commerce, called for supporting policies on Thursday to increase foreign trade while reducing exporters' burdens and improving the business environment.

1 friction   

n.摩擦，摩擦力

参考例句：

• When Joan returned to work,the friction between them increased.琼回来工作后，他们之间的摩擦加剧了。
• Friction acts on moving bodies and brings them to a stop.摩擦力作用于运动着的物体，并使其停止。

2 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

6 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

7 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

8 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

9 barometer   

n.气压表，睛雨表，反应指标

参考例句：

• The barometer marked a continuing fall in atmospheric pressure.气压表表明气压在继续下降。
• The arrow on the barometer was pointing to"stormy".气压计上的箭头指向“有暴风雨”。

10 slew   

v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多

参考例句：

• He slewed the car against the side of the building.他的车滑到了大楼的一侧，抵住了。
• They dealt with a slew of other issues.他们处理了大量的其他问题。

11 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

12 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

13 counselor   

n.顾问，法律顾问

参考例句：

• The counselor gave us some disinterested advice.顾问给了我们一些无私的忠告。
• Chinese commercial counselor's office in foreign countries.中国驻国外商务参赞处。