China, US Consensus Conducive to China's WTO Entry

The consensus reached between China and the United States is conducive to the finalization of relevant papers on China's entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO), Foreign Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi told a routine press conference Tuesday.

Sun made the remark when asked to confirm last weekend's report carried by Xinhua regarding the consensus reached recently between China and the United States on the multi-lateral trade talks.

Consultations were held between Chinese trade officials and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick on the remaining issues pertaining to the multilateral talks that lead to China's WTO entry, during the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) meeting for ministers responsible for trade last Wednesday and Thursday in Shanghai, and the two sides reached "full consensus", Sun added.

"This has served to create important conditions for the 16th session of the China working group of the WTO to be held in Geneva at the end of this month, and for ending the essential talks for China's accession to the WTO at an early date," Sun said.

China and the United States reached an agreement on China's WTO entry in November, 1999, Sun said. "China has maintained contacts and communication with all the WTO members, the United States included, on the multilateral talks and draft of legal documents", he said, describing such contacts and communication as "beneficial ".

US Diplomat Optimistic About China's WTO Entry by Yearend

William Daley, former US Secretary of Commerce, said here Tuesday that he expected China to join the World Trade Organization by the end of this year.

"I am optimistic that China would be in the WTO by the end of this year. However, I was optimistic last spring when the U.S. and China established permanent normal trade relations," Daley said at a press conference during the 3G telecommunication congress.

Daley expected China to win its WTO membership before the next round of global trade talks begins in Qatar in November, and said China's WTO entry would be beneficial for U.S., China and the world economy as well since it would help solve various trade disputes when whey arise.

Daley highlighted the importance of relations between the U.S. and China and said he believed U.S. President Bush is "a strong supporter of economic relations with China."

"He understands the importance of that relationship to China, and China's development and growth and opening," Daley said, meanwhile admitting that there are differences between U.S. and China.

The two countries are going to acknowledge these differences and open about them, and at the same time, deal with these problems in a mature and open way, he said.






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