China, which became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO) a year ago, has made tremendous efforts to implement its commitments and is fully participating in the new round of multilateral trade talks, said Sun Zhenyu, Chinese ambassador to the WTO.
On the occasion of the first anniversary of China's accession to the world trade body, Sun said in an interview that China has revised many domestic laws and regulations in order to comply with WTO rules. It has reduced tariffs and quotas, and opened the service trade to WTO members in line with its commitments.
Sun said China's efforts and achievements in the past year have won wide recognition among WTO members. Both the former WTO Director-General Mike Moore and current Direct-General Supachai Panitchpakdi have voiced their feeling that China is a qualified and responsible member.
The Chinese Government attaches great importance to the new round of multilateral trade negotiations, Sun said.
Since last November, China has sent more than 50 negotiating groups to Geneva to participate in negotiations on various topics. On the agricultural front, China has put forward proposals which attracted the attention of all WTO members and support from developing members.
Sun said Chinese institutions are fully involved in discussions on issues such as the environment and a range of other topics that are likely to be raised at the fifth WTO ministerial meeting in Mexico next year.
Regarding China's position on the new round of trade negotiations, the ambassador said that building a new multilateral trading system should help establish a balanced, fair and rational international economic order.
The trade system should foster development of the world economy, facilitate trade and investment, and balance the interests of developed and developing countries.
Sun said developed members should show sincerity in the negotiations on textile products and anti-dumping, and take action to remove trade barriers and improve market-access conditions for developing members.
Sun also said that as a new member of the trade body, China is willing to listen to all kinds of constructive opinions to better integrate with the world trade system.
Echoing the ambassador, China's foreign trade minister Shi Guangsheng said yesterday that China will actively participate in the new round of multilateral trade talks, which he said should better heed the needs of developing countries.
Next year's WTO ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico, is the key to whether a new round of multilateral talks can start on time and yield acceptable fruits to each side, said Shi, minister of foreign trade and economic co-operation.
Shi made the remarks at the inaugural ceremony for the WTO advanced-training programme in the Asia-Pacific and the launch of the China WTO Tribune yesterday.
The training center at Peking University marks the first time that China has sponsored regional activities between WTO members, and the first time that the WTO has provided technical aid for developing members, Shi said.
"The more deeply we get involved in the multilateral trade system, the more important we feel it is to have more qualified professionals in this field," Shi said.
China needs to live up to its position as a full member of the WTO, and play an active and constructive role in the organization, Shi said. "To meet this end, we need to conduct thorough research to acquire a deep understanding of WTO rules and operation mechanisms."
The launching of the China WTO Tribune is a step China has taken to adapt to the new situation.
As a publication of the China WTO Notification and Enquiry Centre with the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, the magazine will provide authoritative information about WTO-related activities in China to government bodies both at home and abroad, Shi said.
The journal provides information on the progress of WTO multilateral negotiations, China's participation in WTO activities, development of different industries and enterprises after China's WTO accession, cases of WTO dispute resolution, and examples of utilizing WTO rules to safeguard one's own interests.
(China Daily December 12, 2002)
