U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Lindsey Graham would be wise to postpone a vote on their bill to slap tariffs on China unless it lets the yuan rise faster, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said on Monday.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez gestures during a speech at Chongqing University in the southwest China's municipality of Chongqing March 27, 2006. Gutierrez and his delegation will arrive in Beijing later Monday and hold talks with Chinese officials about China-US trade and other issues. [newsphoto]

The senators have not yet said whether they would press for an immediate vote on their bill, which would impose a 27.5 percent tariff on China's exports to the United States if Beijing does not act on the yuan.

The bill had been scheduled for a vote on March 31.

Gutierrez, who was summing up media reports of the two senators' fact-finding trip to China last week, told Reuters: "They're probably going to give their bill some time, which I think is the wise thing to do."

Gutierrez was in the southwestern city of Chongqing before flying to Beijing for talks on the protection of intellectual property rights and other trade issues.

China-US trade ties face serious setback

China-US trade relations face a "serious setback" if the US imposes high tariffs on Chinese goods, Commerce Minister Bo Xilai warned in remarks posted on his ministry's website.

Bo delivered the message late last week while exchanging views with visiting US Senators Chuck Schumer and Lindsey Graham, the ministry said.