02 September 1999
China, U.S. To Schedule "Technical Level" Review of WTO
Accession
(Deputy USTR Fisher: meeting likely next week in Beijing) (430)
By Steve La Rocque
USIA Staff Writer
Washington -- China says it wants to have a "technical level review"
with the United States regarding its accession to the World Trade
Organization (WTO), Deputy U.S. Trade Representative for Asia, Latin
America, and Canada Richard Fisher said in a September 2 press
roundtable.
The USTR official said such a "stock taking" meeting could take place
the week of September 6, "most likely in Beijing," but added that the
discussion could also take place in Auckland, New Zealand, the site of
the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial and
Economic Leaders meetings.
China's request came after an exchange of messages with the United
States, which is leading the WTO group considering whether China has
made the necessary reforms in its trade policies to qualify it for
membership in the WTO.
Fisher declined to say who would make up the U.S. side to review the
WTO accession process to date, but said that the Sino-U.S. discussions
would be at "the expert level." Fisher also identified Robert Cassidy,
assistant U.S. Trade Representative for China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and
Mongolia, as the USTR's "expert."
Fisher stressed that the meeting in either Beijing or Auckland would
be one to review efforts to date, not a negotiation. He added that the
technical review would be the first discussion between USTR officials
and their Chinese counterparts "since the end of April."
At that time, China and the United States had made significant
progress toward accession including a market access package on
agriculture, industrial goods, and services. However, some important
issues, including in financial services, remain unresolved.
After the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, accession talks
were put on hold. As in all accessions, conclusion depends on China
meeting the concerns of other WTO members as well.
Fisher rejected the suggestion that Beijing has delayed WTO accession
talks in an attempt to limit the amount of concessions it would have
to make to the United States.
"That kind of tactic won't work," Fisher stressed. "I've never seen a
better negotiator than Ambassador Barshefsky," he said, noting that
she has been involved in the issue of China and the WTO for six years.
The United States "will only accept a good deal," he said. "We'll only
accept a commercially feasible, commercially meaningful agreement" --
one that can be "accepted by the United States Congress."
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