Fourteen countries recognized China as a full market economy in
2006, bringing the total number to sixty-six, revealed the Ministry
of Commerce on Sunday.
The countries?--most based on the African continent--
include Egypt, Kenya, Algeria, Sudan, Liberia, the Central African
Republic, Sierra Leone, Mali, Gabon, Niger and Micronesia, said the
ministry.
With ever more countries granting China full market-economy
status, Chinese companies will better be able to deal with
anti-dumping charges, said an official with the ministry.
Non market-economy status has left China prone to anti-dumping
measures imposed by some WTO members,?which sometimes use
production costs in other countries to evaluate whether or not
Chinese exports are unfairly priced.
China's three largest trading partners including the European
Union, the United States and Japan have yet to accord China full
market-economy status.
The official urged countries to evaluate China's progress in
building a market economy in a fair and objective manner and
recognize China as a full market economy at an early date.
(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2007)