The FT reports on Bo Xilai, China's commerce minister:

The apparent backlash against foreigners runs counter to the trend of greater openness of the Chinese economy and also its booming trade, hastened by entry into the World Trade Organisation in 2001.

Mr Bo, who is pushing for a promotion to vice-premier at next year's Communist party congress, has lifted his public profile as an eloquent and forceful defender of China's trade interests.

He said that China's courage “to jump into the sea” of greater global competition should be contrasted with the attitudes of some more established countries, which he did not name. “Some of the older athletes swimming in the river are getting a bit tired and are falling on to the banks of protectionism,” he said.

Mr Bo acknowledged China needed to do more work to protect the intellectual property rights of both local and foreign companies, but asserted that much had already been done.

"The snag is that it is hard to find out the hideouts of these criminals in a timely manner, just like our American friends find it hard to find terrorists,” he said.

Foreign complaints about nascent protectionism in China have been fuelled by China's trade surplus, which could double this year from just over $100bn (€78bn, £52bn) in 2005.

To read more:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/b9ccfaba-3c41-11db-9c97-0000779e2340.html