DATE=3/28/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA-EU-WTO (L)
NUMBER=2-260671
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: China and the European Union have opened a new
round of negotiations to secure Beijing's entry into
the World Trade Organization. VOA correspondent Roger
Wilkison reports the talks began hours after E-U Trade
Commissioner Pascal Lamy arrived in the Chinese
capital.
TEXT: Mr. Lamy says he is in a constructive mood,
despite the failure of his negotiators to make a
breakthrough in two previous rounds of talks this
year. But European diplomats in Beijing say the E-U
delegation is ready to leave if it does not get what
it wants.
The 15-nation E-U is the last major W-T-O member with
which China has to reach agreement on terms of
accession into the group. Beijing struck a landmark
agreement with the United States last November that
will open up its market to U-S goods and services.
But the Europeans say that deal satisfies only about
80 percent of their concerns. And they are pushing
for more concessions than China granted Washington,
especially in the automotive, insurance and
telecommunications sectors.
Chinese news media are upbeat about the possibility
their country can reach a deal with Brussels and
finally get into the W-T-O after 14 years of trying.
That optimism was reflected Tuesday by Foreign
Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi, who, speaking through an
interpreter, says there are only eight W-T-O members -
-including the EU -- that have not yet struck a deal
with Beijing.
/////INTERPRETER ACTUALITY/////
China's top leaders all attach great importance to the
negotiations between China and the E-U and hope that
both sides can reach an agreement at an early date.
The early conclusion of such a bilateral agreement
conforms with the interest of both sides.
/////END ACTUALITY/////
Chinese trade officials, however, say there are limits
to the concessions Beijing is willing to make to the
E-U. China's top negotiator, Long Yongtu, indicated
last week in Geneva that his country cannot give to
one trading partner, meaning the E-U, what it had been
unable to promise to another, meaning the United
States. Mr. Long's boss -- Foreign Trade Minister Shi
Guangsheng -- sought to accentuate the positive,
saying there are few remaining disputes between China
and the E-U. But he, too, cautioned that there are
pledges China cannot make to any W-T-O member.
There is no indication how long the European
delegation will stay in China. Mr. Lamy says he will
not comment on the negotiations until they are over.
(SIGNED)
NEB/RW/FC
28-Mar-2000 05:14 AM EDT (28-Mar-2000 1014 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
