China rejects Trump's claim that the US 'lost 60,000 factories' since China joined the WTO

Jim Lo Scalzo/Pool Image via AP

China says its participation in the World Trade Organization has not only benefited Beijing but global economic growth as well, implicitly rejecting President Donald Trump's claim that it took factories away from the U.S.

Trump, in his speech to Congress, said the U.S. has "lost 60,000 factories" since China joined the multilateral trading system.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang says China sees its economic ties with the U.S. as being mutually beneficial and said China is "willing to get along with the U.S. to jointly expand and deepen bilateral trade."

U.S., European and other foreign companies complain of unfair competition in China, where they are barred from or sharply restricted in telecoms, information technology, finance and other promising industries in violation of Beijing's free-trading pledges.

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