US urged to relax satellite export restrictions

Since the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations were expanded in 1999 to include satellites, US satellite manufacturers' share in the global market has fallen significantly, from 73 percent in 1995 to 25 percent in 2005, Zhou cited US media reports as saying.

Before the ban, some countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America preferred using China's satellite launch service for its relatively low costs and high success rate, he said.

But after the ban, as China can no longer launch satellites that use US satellite technologies, some of those countries opted to buy satellites that were manufactured in Europe or China without ITAR-controlled components.

Since 2005, China has made and launched communications satellites for Nigeria, Pakistan and Venezuela, and launched a number of satellites made by European companies for international clients, according to previous media reports.

"Just as Neil Armstrong has described his 'small step' on the moon as 'a big step for mankind', developing the space industry is for the good of the whole mankind," he said.

"Cooperation is needed, not the opposite. The US should drop its Cold War mindset on this matter," he said.

The US has sent signals in recent years that it intends to loosen restrictions on high-tech exports to China and resolve the trade imbalance. But the promises have not been met.

In March 2011, US Ambassador to China Gary Locke said the US will allow 46 of the 141 high-tech items to enter the Chinese market, and some may not need a license.

But Zhou said research showed all of the 46 items are comparatively low-end goods, and that the high-tech goods still cannot be exported to China.

Contact the writer at xindingding@chinadaily.com.cn