The World Trade Organization (WTO) should be ready to admit China in the first half of 1998, Chulsu Kim, WTO’s deputy director-general, said in Atlanta May 23. But he acknowledged that on that very day China had failed to submit to the WTO in Geneva new import regulations.
“It’s not because of the lack of political will that they were not able to come forward with the new market access package,” he told 150 attendees of a dinner of the Korea-Southeast U.S. Chamber of Commerce held at the Georgia Power Auditorium downtown. “I think it is the sheer technical complexities involved…and I understand the Chinese have promised their trading partners that they will come forward…”
Dr. Kim also said that without China he did not think the WTO would be worthy of its name “because the world has to have China in it, playing the same kind of a game as all other countries in the world…”
Founded two years ago, the WTO’s membership already has expanded from the 77 original members to 131. China, as well as Russia, Saudi Arabia and Taiwan are in the process of negotiating entry.
The negotiations in Geneva for China’s accession “are making progress,” Dr. Kim said, in part because of the active involvement of the U.S.
For more information about Korean chamber activities call Gene Hanratty at (404) 239-5786.
by Mark Pierson