US, China firms sign whopping 13.6 billion dollar deals

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Source: AFP

ANNAPOLIS, Maryland (AFP) - American and Chinese firms signed deals worth 13.6 billion dollars ahead of a high-level meeting here Tuesday that could formally endorse talks for a bilateral investment treaty, officials said.

China said the agreements inked in Washington and St Louis, Missouri on Monday were part of plans by Chinese companies to increase imports from the trade deficit-ridden United States.

The deals gave a psychological boost to the two-day US-China cabinet-level "strategic economic dialogue" (SED) beginning Tuesday at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, east of Washington.

Thirty-five deals worth 8.3 billion dollars were signed by high-tech, manufacturing and telecommunication companies at the US Chamber of Commerce in Washington, the Chinese government said in a statement.



Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080617/pl_afp/uschinabusinessinvestment_080617072842