THE United States will be sending its Deputy Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky to China for last-minute talks to address a wide range of trade issues before the next General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) meeting in Geneva on July 29. The meeting in Switzerland, to discuss China's application to rejoin GATT, is widely seen as the final date by which China can reach agreement and enter the World Trade Organisation (WTO) as a founding member. Ms Barshefsky is expected to arrive in China early next week and will meet senior Chinese officials, according to a spokesman from the US Consulate. Her visit will be vital for US-Sino trade relations in the light of China's threat to boycott any further negotiations. China has said the US is laying down impossible conditions for the mainland to be admitted to GATT. China described those conditions as being disruptive to social stability and economic development. Ms Barshefsky is expected to hold discussions on numerous trade issues, including the problem of intellectual property protection, Special 301, market access and China's membership of GATT. China has threatened to boycott any further negotiations unless GATT accepts its final offer in Geneva. The Trade Ministry's director-general of international relations Li Zhongzhou said that if GATT refused to accept China's final package, there would be no room for further negotiations. ''GATT can take it or leave it, but it is final,'' Mr Li said. He also said that China would then be under no obligation to honour the commitments already made in the course of negotiations. In the past year, China had made concessions in the areas of market access as well as enacting laws for the protection of intellectual property rights. Despite these, many major developed countries are still dissatisfied. They say that China has not been enforcing the laws adequately. Developed countries are also unhappy with their limited access to the China market, which holds great potential for their exports. After leaving China, Ms Barshefsky will visit Hong Kong for three days and meet Government officials. She will arrive in Hong Kong next Friday.
