WASHINGTON, Safar 19, 1436, December 11, 2014, SPA -- The United States will continue to press China on its currency, protection of its state-owned businesses, and violations of U.S. intellectual property, US President Barack Obama said Thursday ahead of bilateral trade talks next week. “They key with China is to continue to simply press them on those areas where trade is imbalanced, whether it’s on their currency practices, whether it’s on IP (intellectual-property) protection, whether it’s on their state-owned enterprises,” Obama said at a meeting of the President’s Export Council. “The business investment treaty that they have shown an interest in negotiating could end up being a significant piece of business,” the U.S. president said. --SPA 14:17 LOCAL TIME 11:17 GMT www.spa.gov.sa/w