China's WTO Entry in Sight: Trade Minister

China and Thailand signed a bilateral agreement on China's entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Beijing on March 10.

Chinese Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Shi Guangsheng and Supachai Panitchpakdi, visiting Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister, signed the document.

Later Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of China Shi Guangsheng declared that "it won't be long before China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO)."

China will start multi-lateral agreement work with the WTO Secretariat, Shi told reporters after signing a bilateral agreement on China's entry into the WTO with Thailand. Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy of the European Commission will arrive here on March 27 to start week-long bilateral negotiations with China on China's accession to the WTO, Shi said. "I received a letter from Lamy yesterday, saying that he is pleased to accept my invitation to come here," he said. "I hope that China and EU will conclude bilateral negotiation soon, so that it will play an important role in boosting Sino-EU relations and Sino-EU economic and trade relations," he said. Shi noted that the process of China's WTO accession has been significantly accelerated, citing China's recent conclusion of bilateral talks with two more countries, Colombia and Thailand. China has yet to sign bilateral deals with 11 WTO members. China's bilateral negotiations in the WTO have entered a final phase, he said.

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