US Chamber Backs China's WTO Entry

Steve Van Andel, the newly elected chairman of the US Chamber of Commerce, said on Monday that he was looking forward to China joining the World Trade Organization (WTO) sometime before the end of this year. He said this will pave the way for permanent normal trade relations between China and the United States.

"For US business, one of the best things that can happen to help confidence in the Chinese market is China becoming part of the WTO,'' Andel said in an interview.

His remarks come at a time that China is hoping to enter the world trade body. The country hopes to join before a WTO ministerial meeting in Qatar between November 9 and 13.

China has concluded separate agreements with the United States and the European Union, the world's two top trading powers, in the last few weeks, promoting its WTO membership.

Although the US Congress last year voted for Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) between China and the United States, it still reviews its trade policy towards China every year until the country actually becomes part of the WTO.

Andel said: "The chamber is already actively supporting normal trade relations with China again.''

The chamber, the world's largest commerce association representing 3 million US companies and 3,000 state and local chambers, has been committed to lobbying the US Congress to normalize trade relations with China.

He said he would go back to Congress soon after his visit to China to lobby for normal trade relations with China again.

A normal trade relation between China -- potentially the world's largest market with 1.3 billion consumers -- and the United States is very important to businesses in both countries, he said.

Last year, the trade volume between the two nations amounted to US$74.5 billion.

He said China's WTO entry would certainly benefit "not only better relations, but also more trade between the two markets.''

Andel said he would carry the same message during his talks with the Chinese leaders and government officials, including President Jiang Zemin over the next couple of days.

Andel will lead a US business delegation to China in September to attend a meeting organized by China's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation.

"I will also next year travel around the United States again, probably to 50 to 60 different local chambers talking about the importance of trade with China to US and Chinese businesses,'' he said.

Andel, chairman of US-based Amway, the global consumer goods giant, said China's WTO accession and normal trade relations between China and United States were expected to boost his company's business in China.

Amway, which has invested more than US$100 million in China, aims to increase its business in the country to 10 per cent of its global turnover in a few years from the current level of 5 per cent.






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