April 22, 2007	Sunday	Rabi-us-Sani 04, 1428

WASHINGTON, April 21: US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson has reiterated his call for a strong dollar while urging China to let its currency appreciate faster against the greenback.

“As I think you know, I believe very strongly that a strong dollar is in our nation's interest,” Paulson said in an interview late on Friday with PBS television.

Paulson's comments came after European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet reiterated on Friday that excessive exchange rate volatility was “undesirable,” as the euro flirted with all-time highs against the dollar.

The euro rose as high as high 1.3637 dollars in trading early on Friday, flirting with its record of 1.3666 dollars set on Dec 30, 2004.Paulson called for China to let the yuan appreciate more against the dollar to ease protectionist tendencies in Congress amid a persistent US trade deficit with China.

Congress could pass “unattractive bills,” he warned, adding: “I think the Chinese are very well aware of it.” China has a huge trade surplus largely thanks to a weak yuan that makes its products highly competitive abroad. —AFP