China Moves To Speed Up Wto Entry

The commitment, announced by assistant trade minister Long Yongtu at a meeting of the World Trade Organisation working party negotiating the terms of Beijings entry into the 125-member watchdog, was welcomed by major trading nations.

These included the United States, European Union, Japan, Canada, South Korea and New Zealand, trade officials said.

Long, speaking to reporters, said he had detected a much more pragmatic and positive attitude on the part of the US delegation led by Deborah Lehr, deputy assistant US trade representative.

US and Chinese trade officials held closed-door bilateral negotiations in Geneva on Monday and Tuesday.

They have taken away some purely bilateral trade issues outside the WTO framework, Long said, referring to the USWe agreed not to put all our laundry into one basket.

 

Lehr was not available for comment. A US trade delegate in Geneva said acting US trade representative Charlene Barshefsky was the only USTR official authorised to speak regarding China.