The United States and Japan have agreed to Cooperate in getting China to comply with rules of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), a senior US commerce official said on Tuesday.
"We had very good discussions (with Japanese trade officials) about the Need for continuing co-operation" to ensure China's WTO compliance in Semiconductors, intellectual property and other sectors, visiting US Commerce Undersecretary Grant Aldonas said. The two nations had not discussed specific joint actions yet, as Washington needs to watch how its talks with Beijing go, he told a press conference.
"If we fail in our efforts, that would be the point that we will have to Sit down" with Japan and other trading partners to consult how to tackle Problems with China, he said.
He said "China's ability to comply with its WTO obligations is not only a Barometer of how seriously they actually want to engage in the world but how Seriously they want to develop their economy and society based on rules and Law."
Aldonas was in China last week for talks with Chinese officials. The Chinese commerce ministry announced it had agreed to consult with the United States over a US complaint about its tax system for domestic chipmakers.
The United States launched the first WTO complaint against China on March 18 attacking tax breaks for the chip industry.
On Monday, Japan's trade ministry urged China to improve its trade practices, pointing to Chinese taxes on chip imports, lax control on pirated products and its resort to anti-dumping measures among other issues.