China to Publicize Full Contents of WTO Agreements Soon

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 27, 2001

China to Publicize Full Contents of WTO Agreements Soon

China will make public the contents of all protocol and agreements concerning its accession to the WTO very soon. China will translate the agreement into Chinese as soon as possible. A series of books entitled "Essential Knowledge on China's Accession to the World Trade Organization," compiled by trade experts who participated in the WTO negotiations, will also be published soon.

Bilingual Version Available

China will make public the contents of all protocol and agreements concerning its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) very soon, said a senior trade official Monday.

Zhang Xiangchen, deputy director-general of WTO affairs of Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC), made these remarks at a press conference on China's Entry into WTO.

Because of public demand, China will translate the agreement into Chinese as soon as possible, making sure of the accuracy and integrity of the translated text.

Special Organs Set up, Programs to Be Launched

To meet the needs of China's accession to WTO, MOFTEC has set up the Department of WTO Affairs, the China-WTO Notification Inquiry Center and the Fair Trade Bureau for Imports and Exports, said Gao Yan, chief of MOFTEC general office, at a press conference.

MOFTEC plans to work out special programs on China's entry into WTO, said Gao.

Related Book Available

A series of books entitled "Essential Knowledge on China's Accession to the World Trade Organization," compiled by trade experts who participated in the WTO negotiations, will also be published soon, Gao announced.

Provisions and Laws Revised

When asked about China's work on the revision of foreign trade and economic regulations, Zhang Yuqing, MOFTEC director-general of treaties and laws, said that trade provisions and laws at the central level have been revised.

MOFTEC has also revised and formulated its own foreign trade laws and administrative regulations, and local foreign trade provisions have been carefully studied. China will balance its rights and obligations after entry into WTO, Zhang Xiangchen said. While promising to further open its market and to abide by WTO rules, China will benefit from the achievement made by multilateral trade institutions during the long process of trade and investment facilitation.

China will benefit from promises made by other members during the Uruguay-round agreements, and from multilateral and stable most-favored-nation unconditional treatment.

Shi Guangsheng, Chinese Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, signed Sunday the protocol on China's accession to the WTO. The protocol spells out the rights and obligations of China's WTO membership, which was formally approved by the Organization on Saturday.

In a statement after signing the protocol, Shi said that immediately after the signing ceremony he will present to the WTO secretariat a document signed by Chinese President Jiang Zemin ratifying China's entry into the WTO.

Under WTO rules, China will formally become a WTO member on December 11 this year.

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