China falls short of WTO rules: US

The US Trade Representative, in his annual report to Congress, said China fell short on transparency in key economic sectors, and in tackling copyright violations under World Trade Organization rules, reported AFP. Assistant US Trade Representative Timothy Stratford told reporters in Hong Kong that China represented the world's second largest PC market yet was only 25th in the software market, indicating widespread piracy. "They have restrictions on direct sales [of programs from US companies] different from other countries," he said.