China Vows to Adopt World Technical Standards ����A Chinese official said today that an important element of the country's economic and technical policy is the adoption of international technical standards and advanced standards in order to improve Chinese products and services and boost international trade. ����Chinese Vice Premier Wu Bangguo told an International Standardization Organization ISO) conference that by adopting international technical standards China can learn and digest advanced technologies and management experience and apply them to its products and services. ����In a written speech to the 22nd ISO General Assembly, which opened in Beijing today, Wu said that during the ongoing negotiations on China's entry into the World Trade Organization ( WTO), China has focused on and carefully studied the active role of international standards in eliminating non-tariff technical trade barriers. ����"Great efforts have been made to gain a full understanding of the obligations to be assumed by China and the rights to which the country will be entitled upon entry into the WTO," he told the assembly. ����The three-day assembly, the first of its kind held in China or other developing countries in its 52 year history, is focusing on the organization's major policy-making, long-term plans, and issues related to technical assistance to standardization organizations in developing countries, as well as personnel training. ����Some 400 representatives from 96 countries and 10 international organizations attended the opening ceremony early today. ����"The Chinese government is doing what it can to do away with unnecessary impediments which technical regulations and standards tend to impose on trade," the vice premier said. ����"An important theme ISO has consistently committed itself to is helping developing countries solve the problems of resources and technologies and management in standardization efforts, so as to bridge the gap between developed and developing countries in this regard." ����He said China is ready to play an active role in the work of the international standardization organizations, and work together in addressing the tasks facing international standardization. (Xinhua) Economicnews 1999-10-21 Page2 Full Story in Chinese