Punke Rejects Chinese Claims U.S. Is ‘Politicizing’ WTO Trade Disputes Against It

GENEVA—Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Michael Punke Sept. 25 rejected China’s claim that a recent U.S. dispute case against China filed at the World Trade Organization was politically motivated.

Punke, the U.S. ambassador to the WTO, told a group of reporters that the case against China’s alleged subsidization of automobile and auto parts exporters was in the works for some time and was not a spur of the moment decision.

President Obama announced Sept. 17 the initiation of WTO proceedings challenging the Chinese subsidies, which officials said involved at least $1 billion in illegal support impacting three quarters of all Chinese ...