China to Honor Commitments in Telecom Market OpeningChina will honor its commitments in the opening of its telecommunications market after its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Minister of Information Industry Wu Jichuan said Monday.Wu made the remarks at a press conference held by the State Council Information Office. The minister stressed that China will obey the principle of fairness, transparency and non-discrimination in dealing with market accession. He disclosed that China is in the process of drafting regulations concerning the participation of foreign businesses in China's telecommunications sector, which will be promulgated before China's accession to the WTO. He refuted the saying that the regulations will include requirements on the turnover and other indices of foreign partners. On the other hand, he said that it is necessary to impose certain restrictions on the qualification of foreign partners, which is not only an international practice, but also a necessity for the protection of consumers' interests, as telecommunications businesses must have the capacity to serve consumers on a long-term basis. According to the minister, China will also open the telecommunications sector to the private sector of the country. "Private businesses meeting certain conditions will be allowed into the sector upon approval," he said. |
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