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China "One Foot in WTO", WTO Official
China is "one foot in the WTO", said an official of the World Trade Organization November 9 in Geneva.
Paul Henri Ravier, chairman of the working party on China's WTO accession, told reporters at the end of the 13th session that China is virtually "one foot" in the organization as breakthroughs have been made in central subjects like transitional review mechanism, judicial review, uniform administration, transparency, and tariff-rate quota administration during the current session.
He said that there is also progress in other areas such as quantitative import restrictions, technical barriers to trade, agricultural policy, and trade-related intellectual property issues.
However, Ravier said, many substantive, verification and technical gaps still need to be filled before the multilateral talks for China's final accession are completed.
Long Yongtu, head of the Chinese delegation, said that he agreed to Ravier's assessment of the 13th session and pointed out that encouraging momentum has emerged during the current session.
"China and other members of the working party have made a critical step forward toward the common goal of the comprehensive conclusion of the negotiations," he said.
Speaking at the working party session on Thursday afternoon, Long told WTO members that China will abide by its commitments made in the bilateral and multilateral negotiations.
"We are convinced that the observance of these commitments, while benefiting all the members of the WTO, will first and foremost benefit China in the implementation of its reform and opening up policy," he said.
He reiterated that China hopes to join the WTO at an early date on the basis of balance between rights and obligations. However, he said, the specific date of China's accession is "not totally in our hands".
"China has shown adequate sincerity and flexibility and hopes that its efforts could be reciprocated by WTO members," Long said.
"At this final stage of the negotiations in particular, the common goal of China's early WTO accession will only be achieved should all the parties concerned show a flexible and practical attitude."
The next session of the working party on China's accession to the 139-member WTO is scheduled in Geneva on December 5-8.
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