PRESIDENT Bill Clinton has pledged to take 'personal care' of China's attempt to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Beijing's chief WTO negotiator Long Yongtu has disclosed.
In return for US support, China is to cut tariffs on more than 4,000 import items by one-third next year, he added in an exclusive interview with the Sunday Morning Post.
Speaking during the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Osaka, Mr Long said Mr Clinton gave the undertaking during last month's New York mini-summit with Chinese President Jiang Zemin. Mr Long, who is also Assistant Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Co-operation, said both sides had productive discussions on China's entry the WTO.
'Mr Clinton has promised to take 'personal care' of the matter,' Mr Long said. He noted that between November 8 and November 12, Deputy US Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky had visited Beijing 'under the instruction of Mr Clinton.' During the visit, she presented a 'non-paper' - an informal working paper - clearly stating the principles under which the US would like to see China's WTO entry.
Mr Long said the non-paper said: 'China's WTO accession should be on a sound commercial basis.' 'This is a positive step by the US because, for the first time, the US has clearly put down the conditions it wants from China. Ms Barshefsky said it is the road map for China to enter WTO.' Mr Long said that the US had not actually lowered its conditions for China's WTO accession, but that it had shown a greater degree of flexibility.
'The US has insisted on China fulfilling the various obligations of a WTO member,' he said. Mr Long added that the US had allowed for flexibility in two ways.