Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, March 11, 2002
News Analysis: WTO Entry to Boost Economic Growth in China
China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) is expected to usher in a new round of economic growth amid some pains from reform and readjustment in the first year of its WTO membership, economists said.
China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) is expected to usher in a new round of economic growth amid some pains from reform and readjustment in the first year of its WTO membership, economists said.
Members attending the annual session of the country's advisory body are cautiously optimistic about the country's economic prospect, saying the entry will help increase China's economic growth by one to 1.5 percentage points.
Economist Bian Changtai, a member of the Ninth National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), said China is still some distance behind the world average in economic development, and the potential for the nation is huge.
He said the entry will promote the country's foreign trade, foreign direct investment and tertiary sector and tap the potential of labor resources in economic growth.
Economic growth rate predicted
Economists predict China's economy is expected to grow by 7-7.5 percent this year thanks to the proactive fiscal policy, compared with the growth target of around seven percent set by the Chinese government.
WTO Entry Bring Cheaper Foreign Goods
According to a report by the International Investment Bank, China's economy is forecast to grow at an average six percent annually during the coming two decades, and become the second largest in the world next to the United States by 2030.
China recorded an economic growth rate of 7.3 percent last year.
Foreign trade to rise
China's export of textile goods, home appliances and other electronic products will increase by a big martin while its imports of energy, mineral products, advanced equipment and software will rise considerably in the years ahead, said the economist.
WTO Entry to Create Greater Room for Foreign Businesses: Minister
Foreign direct investment is expected to pour in great amount, from an average 40 billion U.S. dollars annually to about 100 billion in five years time, thanks to the further opening of the Chinese market and improved transparency and removal of sector hurdles.
WTO entry to create sound market environment
Another economist, Song Hai, said "the WTO membership will help develop a fair, just and open market environment in China, which is of long-term significance to the country's economic stability and development, creating business opportunities for overseas enterprises, which are neither temporary nor limited to certain locality."
Song said WTO membership will speed up economic restructuring and urbanization, creating more opportunities for the country's 800 million farmers.
WTO Membership to Boost China's GDP Growth
China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) will give additional boost for China's GDP growth, according to analysts on China's economy.
"We see joining the WTO enabling the economy to add an extra 0.5 percentage points to GDP growth until 2006, while exports should grow by 16 percent per annum in 2002-06," said Pu Yonghao, a senior economist for Nomura International (Hong Kong) Limited. Full Story
Analysis: WTO Accession to Lift China's Growth Quality
China's WTO accession will lift the quality of country's economic growth, with total trade expected to surge to one trillion US dollars by 2006, analysts predicted Tuesday in Hong Kong.
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