China has made great efforts to faithfully implement its
obligations in the World Trade Organization (WTO) since it joined
the body five years ago, Chinese Ambassador to the WTO Sun Zhenyu
has said.
Since 2001, China has reviewed more than 2,000 trade-related
laws and regulations, abolishing over 700 of them and amending
others to bring them into full compliance with its commitments, Sun
told Xinhua ahead of the five year anniversary of China's WTO
entry, which falls on Monday.
China's average tariff for industrial goods was lowered from
14.8 percent before its WTO accession to 9.1 percent in 2005, and
the tariff for agricultural products was down from 23.2 percent
to15.35 percent, Sun said.
China has also opened up nine service sectors and 102
sub-sectors to the committed levels, which are much higher than the
average levels committed by developing members. Those sub-sectors
include banking, insurance, distribution, telecoms, legal service,
accounting, etc..
Sun added that China had also made huge efforts to enhance
protection of intellectual property rights. China's patent fee and
other related payments are increasing dramatically on annual basis,
reaching US$4.5 billion last year.
Sun admitted that China, as a young WTO member, still had room
to improve in implementing its WTO obligations.
But he noted that all WTO members, including the US and the EU,
need to improve their performance, and the US and EU should not
measure China's performance with standards that exceed China's
commitments and capacity.
Sun said as five years passing by, China might face more
challenges as a WTO member.
The passing of the five-year "transitional period" means China's
overall market opening will be uplifted to a new level, and China
will have a more important role to play in the WTO, he said.
China's influence on world economy and world trade would grow
further, which would be seen as a challenge as well as an
opportunity for developed countries, he said.
Sun predicted that the US and EU might take more trade
protectionist measures against China and trade disputes involving
China might increase.
He said China would also face more pressure in the Doha Round of
trade talks, as WTO members might demand China further open its
markets. He also mentioned challenges in the fields of agriculture,
finance and energy.
To face the new challenges, China must resolutely continue its
reform and opening policy, play an active and constructive role in
the WTO and work to improve and enhance the multi-lateral trade
system, Sun said.
The ambassador said China would also further cooperation with
other developing countries, and continue to provide aid to least
developed countries and other poor countries.
Besides, China should try to expand domestic consumption,
improve its regulation on exports, increase imports, and reduce
trade surplus with major trading partners, he added.
(Xinhua News Agency December 11, 2006)