Chinese Delegation Leaves for WTO China Working Group Meeting

A Chinese delegation left Beijing Saturday noon for Geneva to attend the 16th conference of China Working Group of the World Trade Organization (WTO) with the hope to finalize the substantial talks on the country's entry into the WTO.

The delegation, led by Long Yongtu, chief negotiator of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC), is composed of about 30 officials coming from the MOFTEC, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Economic and Trade Commission, the China Insurance Regulatory Commission, State Administration of Foreign Exchange, the General Administration of Customs and the Ministry of Agriculture.

Prior to the conference, scheduled for June 28-July 4, the Chinese delegation will meet in Geneva some WTO members in a bid to resolve the remaining issues in the multi-lateral process concerning China's WTO entry. That will pave the way for an early ending of the substantial talks on China's WTO accession.

Long told Xinhua before leaving Beijing that the Chinese delegation has always considered all WTO members are equally important in terms of negotiations and China respects the stance and demand of every WTO member.

"We hope that, with the understanding and support of all WTO members, the substantial talks on China's WTO accession can conclude comprehensively in the coming working group conference," Long said, "so that the technical check on the legal documents concerning China's entry into the WTO can begin after the meeting. "

As most WTO members hope that China can become a full member before the trade ministers' meeting of WTO members in Doha, Qatar, in November this year, Long said, China also holds a "positive attitude" toward that.

China reached full consensus with the United States on all the issues left over in the multi-lateral process concerning its bid to enter the WTO earlier this month in Shanghai. It reached full consensus on the issue with the European Union this week.






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