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Washington (AFP) Dec 16, 2010 Key US senators pressed China to open its markets to US beef within weeks after high-level trade talks in Washington yielded an agreement for fresh negotiations on the issue next year. Senate Finance Committee chairman Max Baucus, a Democrat, praised Beijing's agreement to battle intellectual piracy and open up its government procurement rules, and called the next round of beef exports discussions "promising." "But talks on lifting China's ban on US beef must conclude swiftly -- before (Chinese) President Hu (Jintao)'s visit in January -- and China must agree to abide by scientific standards and open its doors to American beef," he said. Senator Chuck Grassley, the panel's top Republican, said he was "cautiously optimistic" about progress on protecting US intellectual property and opening Chinese government procurement to greater competition. "But it's disappointing that with beef, all we have is an agreement to start talking again in the new year," said Grassley. Top officials from the world's two largest economies met for two days in Washington to try to iron out persistent tensions -- including over the value of China's currency, which the United States says is artificially low. President Barack Obama's administration, which has been hit hard by economic worries, offered an upbeat take on the talks and highlighted China's willingness to restart talks on resuming US beef imports. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack pointed to "progress" over US beef, which was banned by China among other countries in 2003 over concerns about mad-cow disease. "Technical talks will resume as soon as possible with the goal of reopening China's market in early 2011," Vilsack said. Republican Senator Mike Johanns, who has called on China, Japan, and South Korea to allow US beef freer access to their markets, said it was time for China "to begin living up to its WTO (World Trade Organization) obligations." "Sending another technical team to China certainly won't hurt, but until Chinese ports actually start accepting shipments of US beef, this agreement will give cattlemen little solace," he said.
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