Obama says to keep pressing China on currency, intellectual property

WASHINGTON: The United States will continue to press China on its currency, protection of intellectual property and state-owned businesses, U.S. President Barack Obama said on Thursday ahead of bilateral trade talks next week.

"The key with China is to continue to simply press them on those areas where trade is imbalanced, whether it's on their currency practices, whether it's on IP (intellectual property) protection, whether it's on their state-owned enterprises," he said at a meeting of the President's Export Council.

"The business investment treaty that they have shown an interest in negotiating could end up being a significant piece of business," Obama said.