Sino-US talks over the last 13 years have at long last resulted in a bilateral accord on China's entry into the WTO. Though not being the "final" yet the accord has helped us in removing the biggest obstacle to obstruct the country's final access to the WTO.

An appropriate saying is that "where there is a will there is a way." Sino-US accord shows without doubt the fact that it is up to the interests of the two countries that decide apart from determinations and confidence shown by the two parties in bringing about a win-win accord. But toping these is an ascending overall national strength and a raise of international position in backing up the country's success in reaching a deal with the US. This brings me without doubt memories back to the days of the Qing (1616-1911) time: It had struck great awe into the hearts of the Occidentals when they had to do their business deals through the agencies of 13 Chinese "trading companies" specially set up by Qing in Guangzhou.

Before knuckling down to the Western powers prior to the Opium War (1840-1842), the Qing arrogantly styled itself as the heavenly "Imperial Court" to rule its subject throughout the world. Business deals on an equal footing with "Occidental barbarians" had been totally ruled out. It was entirely necessary for them then to cower before the "thirteen trading companies" put under charge of a group of "liaison men" specially designated. Under Qing rules, no foreign businessmen who had ever turned up in Guangzhou were allowed to move round but to live in particular compounds specially set up for them. By Qing stipulations for Customs duty exaction, an average two hundredth tariff amount had to go through a intricacy of dirty avid authoritative hands of Qing officials from down below to rise to a tariff amount of around an average twenty hundredth. Behind this, needless to say, were an overweening heavenly "Imperial Court" and a large number of officials found in complete corruption and decadence. This is to say things then could not be otherwise for a poor enfeebled China like that under the dark rule of Qing. For its decadence Qing had to face a doomed lot. Things became therefore completely easy for the Western powers with their accursed opium to force open the door of China. By trampling the Chinese nation underfoot, they frenziedly plundered the land. Being deprived of all of its sovereign rights, China was left to stand no chance of developing trade on an equal footing with all its strong Western counterparts.

It seems neither necessary for all deformed world trade policies to be analyzed nor there is the need for a moral criticism to be made to uncover all seamy things involved. Karl Marx put it rightly: It was because such a large imperial kingdom, with a population nearly about one third of the world, was totally ignorant of developments of the time. Building itself upon illusory deceitful ideals, under a heavenly "Imperial Court", self contented, completely isolated from a rising outside world, it was natural for such a big empire to be finally beaten in a life and death struggle. In this life and death struggle, representatives of the decadent world were obsessed with moral ethics. Contrarily, representatives of the modern were fighting for privileges to buy cheap and sell deal - a most strange couplet-type sad dirge totally beyond the imagination of any great poet known to human history.

From the days of China being trampled underfoot to the signing of Sino-US win-win accord we have been let to know the changes the Chinese people have experienced in their national lot and the growth of their national strength and their historical choice and influence now found on today's world. Though Sino-US accord is not the final result yet a fact that cannot be denied is that over the last 13 years we have conducted dialogues on an equal footing on the negotiating table with an opponent, the world strongest. Overweening and timidity represent not the least the mentality of a mature nation. However we have paid a high price for that.

By participation in the WTO is not to say we can sit idle and enjoy the fruits of others' labor. We can in no way be ready to relish all the delicacies set out in a grand feast. Still, we have a long way to go. Apart from making ourselves a de facto partner of the WTO, we still have to pay a high "tuition" fee even after we have been in the WTO. This is similar to a high-level contest of sportsmanship to be held with our counterparts. Though necessary procedures have been set, success or failure depends completely on efforts we are going to make. (Commentary by Wang Deying)