Bush administration rejects petition

The administration of US President George W Bush announced that it will not launch investigations into allegations that China is engaged in manipulation of both its currency and workers� wages. The AFL-CIO, the largest trade union in the US, presented the Bush administration with a petition in March calling for a US investigation into Chinese labor policy, accusing China of intentionally keeping workers� wages artificially low in order to enjoy an unfair trade advantage. The petition called for punitive tariffs on Chinese goods to protect US workers. Analysts said the decision by the administration will help reduce tension in the recent trade confrontations between the US and China but it could expose Bush to election-year criticism of putting relations with China before protecting US jobs.