China's major television manufacturers, which are experiencing a hard time in the domestic market, said they have decided to fight against an anti-dumping lawsuit filed by its rivals in the United States.

　　Skyworth (Group) Co Ltd, TCL Corp and Hisense Co Ltd said they plan to form an alliance to challenge the petition, which was filed by the American plaintiffs on May 2, alleging that TV producers in China and Malaysia had been conducting unfair trade practices since 2000 till the end of last year.

　　Sichuan Changhong Electric Co Ltd and Xiamen Overseas Chinese Electronic Co Ltd have hired lawyers in the United States to defend themselves against the lawsuit.

　　The petition alleges that television imports from China and Malaysia are sold in the US market at prices below production costs.

　　The US plaintiffs include Five Rivers Electronic Innovations and two labor unions, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the International Union of Electrical, Electronic, Furniture and Salaried Workers.

　　"We are paying great attention to the anti-dumping charge by those US companies," said Sichuan Changhong in a statement.

　　"The lawsuit is not aimed at one Chinese television maker but the entire Chinese TV industry. It might affect Chinese TV makers' globalization programs in the long term."

　　The US Department of Commerce will decide whether or not to accept the case on June 12.