Q: China has started a new round of multilateral negotiations in Geneva on its entry into WTO with WTO members. How does China view its prospect of joining the WTO? Is it possible to join WTO within the end of the year?


A: I would like to brief you on the matter. China signed a bilateral WTO agreement with Switzerland on Sept. 26. At present, of the 37 WTO members that requested bilateral negotiations on market access with China, 36 have concluded negotiations, leaving Mexico the only one that is yet to reach an agreement with us.


The focus of China's WTO negotiations has shifted from bilateral ones to multilateral ones, namely the drafting of such multilateral legal documents like the protocol on China's accession to WTO and the report of the China working group. These legal documents should reflect the process of 14 years of negotiations on China's return to GATT and accession to WTO. It involves a lot of difficult aspects and can only be accomplished through the joint efforts of all sides.


We have learned from MOFTEC that the working group on China's accession to WTO started its 13th meeting on Nov. 6 in Geneva, Switzerland. Mr. Long Yongtu, Vice Minister of MOFTEC and China's chief WTO negotiator, is leading a delegation in the meeting. The working group held informal multilateral consultations on 6 Nov. The consultations were positive and constructive and are still going on at present. The consultations will mainly focus on the matters of the multilateral protocol and the report of the China working group. It is our hope that progress can be made in the negotiations so that we will be able to achieve the objective of early entry into the WTO.


I would also like to point out that China is making active preparations to follow through its commitments. After joining WTO, China will further open up its markets, which will in turn help WTO members gain more market access to China. The commitments that China has made can only be effective after joining the WTO. Therefore, the earlier China joins WTO, the sooner the businesses of WTO members will benefit.