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Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan speaks during the third annual US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue,?urging the United States to "set a clear timetable and roadmap" for relaxing its high-tech export control regime and recognize China's market economy status, at the Department of the Interior in Washington May 9, 2011.[Xinhua]

A spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Tuesday China is deeply disappointed at the United States' decision to withhold export control of high-tech products to China, saying such move was "discriminatory."

"The persistent U.S. discrimination against China is not in line with the efforts to establish a Sino-U.S. cooperative relationship of mutual respect that benefits each other," said MOC spokesman Yao Jian in a statement on MOC website.

The remarks of discontent came after the U.S. Department of Commerce rejected the inclusion of China into its new list of license exception, Strategic Trade Authorization (STA), this month.

"On one hand, the United States is mad at its trade deficit with China, yet it restricts exports to China and refuses to facilitate imports by Chinese companies," Yao said, adding that such moves are contradictory.

Yao said U.S. exports to China have expanded rapidly in recent years, but exports of high-tech items lag far behind goods such as agricultural products.

China's trade with the United States climbed by 22.3 percent to 169.52 billion dollars in the first five months of this year with a trade surplus of 65.5 billion U.S. dollars, according to the Customs data.

Yao said the Chinese market potential would open up huge business opportunities for U.S. companies to widen their exports to China.

"The unreasonable export control not only constrains the trade development between the two countries, but directly damages the interests of U.S. firms and reduces their job opportunities," he added.

According to the U.S. Commerce Department, the STA regime aims to build higher fences around a core set of items whose misuse can pose "a national security threat" to the United States.

The new U.S. license exception given to 44 countries and regions eliminated the need for U.S. exporters to seek licenses in nearly 3,000 types of transactions annually.

Items such as electronic components for use on the International Space Station, cameras for search and rescue efforts for fire departments, components for civil aviation navigation systems for commercial aircraft, airport scanners, and toxins for vaccine research will be eligible for the new license exception.

Yao reiterated that loosening of export control against China is a major concern for China.

'We hope the U.S. side can take practical actions and change their discriminations against China to help facilitate a substantial development of Sino-U.S. high-tech trade and promote a trade balance between us," he added.

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