(December 10, 2001 Posted: 9:45 PM)
GENEVA, Switzerland -- World Trade
Organization officials say arrangements are complete for the acceptance of China
into the 142-nation trading organization.
Negotiators have finalized
technical arrangements clearing a way for the WTO to vote on accepting China
when it meets in November in Doha, Qatar.
China
WTO Delgation Leader Shi Guangsheng signed protocol for China WTO
Entry at Duha Time November 11, 2001. China ends its 15-year quest to join,
officially becoming a fully-fledged member of the international trading system.
Below is a catalogue of the key events relating to China's 15-year
bid to join the WTO.
1986 -- China applies to join General Agreement on
Tariffs and Trade (GATT), predecessor to WTO.
1989 -- China's
suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square on June 4 derails
negotiations.
November 1995 -- China unveils economic and trade reforms
aimed at winning U.S. backing to enter the WTO. It plans to slash import tariffs
by 30 percent and allow joint venture companies to be set up.
April 8,
1999 -- President Bill Clinton and Premier Zhu Rongji sign a joint statement in
Washington welcoming substantial progress and committing them to completion of a
WTO deal by the end of the year. The gap is closed on about 90 percent of WTO
issues.
May 7, 1999 -- China freezes WTO talks after NATO forces
accidentally bomb the Chinese embassy in Belgrade.
September 11, 1999 --
Clinton and Chinese President Jiang Zemin agree on the sidelines of the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in New Zealand to resume WTO
negotiations.
November 15, 1999 -- U.S. and China announce a WTO pact.
China agrees to open a wide range of markets, from agriculture to
telecommunications. Clinton must persuade the U.S. Congress to grant China
permanent normal trade relations (PNTR).
May 19, 2000 -- The European
Union signs a WTO accession pact with China.
October 10 -- Clinton signs
a law giving China normal trade status with U.S.
January, 2001 --
Further multilateral talks end in acrimony as China and some WTO members
disagree on farm subsidies.
June 9 -- China and the U.S. announce
consensus on issues holding up China's entry, including farm subsidies, after
meetings on the sidelines of an APEC trade ministers' meeting.
June 20
-- The European Union says it has resolved outstanding bilateral issues with
China over its accession.
September 14 -- WTO members agree on terms for
China's entry at an informal meeting, clearing the way for the nation to join by
the end of the year.
November 10 -- Trade ministers from across the
world officially approve China's entry. The move was approved unanimously at the
WTO meeting in the Gulf state of Qatar
December 11 -- China ends its
15-year quest to join, officially becoming a fully-fledged member of the
international trading system.
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