CHINA has launched an anti-dumping investigation against photographic paper and paper boards imported from the European Union, the United States and Japan, the Ministry of Commerce said today.

It was the latest progress of trade disputes between China and other countries after top Chinese leaders visited the Europe and the US to discuss the issue. The value of goods that are possibly affected by the investigation is not immediately known.

Such rows are not likely to cast as much shadow as they did before on Chinese economy after the country becomes less dependent on external conditions, said Lawrence Lau, president of CPA Australia Shanghai Committee.

But the seemingly endless trade disputes do no good to the world economy, said Sun Lijian, an economics professor at Fudan University.

On Wednesday, the US complained to the World Trade Organization that China illegally subsidized its production of wind power equipment.