US deficit claims can be misleading, report says

The United States' trade deficit with China is not a matter of simple, objective truth. It has been brought on by actions of the US itself - a combination of export controls, market restrictions, competition, trade policies, currency dominance and other factors - officials and experts said in response to a report from the Ministry of Commerce on Thursday.

The report said bilateral trade has been mutually beneficial, and the US has reaped substantial benefits from cooperation.

"China-US economic and trade cooperation has reached unprecedented depth and breadth," the report said, noting that bilateral trade surged to $633.5 billion last year, about 252 times that of 1979.