China is likely to become the main target of rising trade protectionism amid the global economic crisis, according to a report by China's top government think tank, the Development Research Center of the State Council.

The report was quoted by Saturday's edition of China Daily as saying rising trade protectionism will worsen the environment for the nation's exporters.

With the US introducing the "Buy America" clause in its stimulus package, protectionism is set to rise globally, the report said.

A World Bank study released Tuesday that showed 17 of the G20 nations had implemented trade-restricting measures since last November, China Daily said.

This is in contrast with the G20's pledge to avoid rising trade barriers during their summit on November 15 last year, as the nations had put in place 47 measures that restrict trade since then, the paper said.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, China remains at the top of the list of countries subject to anti-dumping probes since 1995.

The Indian government announced a six-month ban on toy imports from China on January 23. The US also included a poultry trade protectionist section in its US$410 billion spending bill passed by the US Senate on March 10.

The Section said, "None of the funds made available in this Act may be used to establish or implement a rule allowing poultry products to be imported into the United States from the People's Republic of China".

Of which spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce Yao Jian said earlier is a typical "discriminatory and protectionist practice" and "in serious violation of WTO rules".

China still needs to bolster the development of labor-intensive export sector as it provides around 40 million job opportunities for migrant workers each year, according to the newspaper.

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2009)