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Enoch Yiu

China should be allowed to enter the World Trade Organisation soon to maintain Sino-United States trade links, according to a former US trade official.

Mickey Kantor, former US secretary of commerce and trade representative, said in a seminar on the sidelines of the Fortune  Global Forum that the relationship was 'tense' but 'not yet damaged'.

China's 15-year-long trade talks to enter the WTO were further clouded after a mid-air collision between a US spy plane and a Chinese fighter on April 1.

However, Mr Kantor said trade matters should not be linked to political events, and he believed China's entry to the WTO would benefit the US and the world.

China trade negotiator Long Yongtu said in Beijing yesterday that he believed the subsidies problem, which has delayed China's entry, would be resolved.

A number of countries were unhappy at the level of subsidies China would give to its farmers.

Mr Kantor also said the economic slowdown in the US would be a negative factor for China as the US was its largest trading partner.

He predicted US economic growth this year would only be 2.25 per cent to 2.5 per cent, compared with 4 per cent to 5 per cent gross domestic product growth in the past few years.

Mr Kantor also said the market expected the US to cut interest rates two or three more times this year.

He predicted that the next cut would take place later this month.



Kantor gives priority to trade and WTO entry for Sino-US relations