China slams US labour petition

China has called a petition by the largest US labour union to impose trade sanctions on China for alleged violations of workers' rights "unhelpful".

The Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement: "We have never agreed with the linkage of global trade and labour standard issues."

"We also think that any so-called sanctions will do nothing to help solve problems between China and the United States in the trade area," it said.

The American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisation (AFL-CIO) urged the US government to impose trade sanctions, citing the welfare of China's own workers.

The Chinese foreign ministry argued that it has done much to protect workers' rights, basing the claim on the number of international treaties acceded to.

It said: "Up to now, China has already approved 23 international labour treaties (whereas the United States had approved only 14)."

Critics say China gives its exporters an unfair advantage through an undervalued currency, at the expense of US manufacturing jobs.

According to reports, the US is also about to file its first formal complaint to the World Trade Organisation over China, alleging it grants its chip makers an unfair advantage over foreign competitors.