Protectionism for all

13 September 2010 By John Foley Follow @johnsfoley

China will treat any product equally, says its premier so long as it’s made in China. That will disappoint foreigners hoping for full market access. Beijing may see an unlevel playing field as key to China’s development, but it needs to be wary of calling down protectionism.

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China's premier, Wen Jiabao, pledged to provide a level playing field for products made in China, whether by foreigninvested enterprises or local businesses, in a speech to delegates at the World Economic Forum. But he stopped short of suggesting that equal market access would be given to foreignmade products.

Wen was answering a question on the policy of "indigenous innovation", a regime by which products certified as being made in China would be preferred for government procurement. Some foreign companies have complained that this precludes them from winning key contracts.

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