Fact Sheet

19th U.S.-China Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade

Signing Ceremony Fact Sheet

Exchange of Letters on Cooperation in Agriculture and Related Fields
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and China's Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) exchanged letters on agricultural cooperation. The letters continue the work of the 2003 Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Agriculture and Related Fields and place added emphasis on subjects such as biotechnology, biofuels, and commodity markets, all of which are increasingly important for our respective agricultural constituencies.

Memorandum of Understanding on Food Safety Information Notification
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ) upgraded a 2006 food safety Memorandum of Cooperation to establish clear guidelines for handling alleged food safety issues in meat, poultry meat, or egg products. The U.S. agricultural industry will benefit from this Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) as it provides a more defined avenue of communication with China in resolving alleged problems between the United States and China.

U.S.-China Trade Statistics Progress Report
The U.S. Census Bureau and China’s Ministry of Commerce statistics experts are engaged in an ongoing cooperative effort to identify the sources of statistical discrepancies and methodological differences in the official U.S.-Chinese bilateral merchandise trade statistics. The purpose of this exercise – which does not alter the officially reported statistics of either country – is to raise the level of understanding of merchandise trade statistics by data users. Today, both sides signed a report noting progress to date.

U.S. Trade and Development Agency Grant Agreement
USTDA awarded a $593,398 grant to the Academy of Broadcasting Science (ABS), a technical institute under China’s State Administration for Radio, Film, and Television (SARFT), to support China’s efforts to expand broadband Internet service in rural areas. The USTDA grant will assist ABS in assessing the technology options for its “Direct to Home Rural Coverage” project, and provide the economic and financial analysis needed for the project to move forward. The study will also include a pilot demonstration of one network option in an area covering at least ten villages. ABS has selected MediaG3, Inc., of San Jose, California, to conduct the study. In addition to the USTDA grant, both MediaG3 and ABS will provide additional resources toward the completion of the study.

Ex-Im Bank Credit Agreement
BNP Paribas and the Export-Import Bank of China (China Eximbank) signed four loan agreements totaling $11,220,000, two of which are guaranteed by the U.S. Ex-Im Bank for $7,022,931. The loans finance contracts for the sale of medical equipment to end-users in the People's Republic of China including: (i) a $6,970,000 contract between Chindex International, Inc. and the Bureau of Health of Dongwuzhumuqinqi County and the Bureau of Xilinguole League and (ii) a $4,250,000 contract between GE International Operations Company, Inc. and the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia Medical College Project. In 2005, China’s Ministry of Finance and the U.S. Ex-Im Bank signed a Framework Agreement with the purpose of supporting exports of U.S. goods and services to China. These loans attach to this Framework Agreement and demonstrate the positive direction of U.S.-China export credit relations.