China has comprehensively and fully implemented the extensive
commitments it made when it joined the World Trade Organization
(WTO) in 2001, according to Vice Commerce Minister Yi Xiaozhun at
the WTO's first trade policy review of China on Wednesday.
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China's average tariffs on industrial goods was lowered from
pre-WTO levels of 14.8 percent to 9.1 percent by 2005, and during
the same period, tariffs on agricultural products were down from
23.2 percent to 15.3 percent, Yi said.
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He added that China had become a relatively low-tariff member
within the WTO, and China had also completely phased out
quantitative import restrictions in compliance with its
commitments.
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Yi was speaking to WTO members at the global trade
organization's first trade policy review of China. The review is
one of the basic functions of the WTO, which aims to improve the
transparency of members' trade policies.
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According to Yi, China has also opened up 10 service sectors and
100 sub-sectors as per its commitments. Sub-sectors include
banking, insurance, distribution, telecoms, legal service, and
accounting.
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In addition, China's trade-related laws, regulations and rules
have been extensively reviewed and brought into full compliance
with its commitments on accession.
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China has also made tremendous efforts in intellectual property
rights (IPR) protection, which Yi said was a global issue, a
challenge faced by even developed member states.
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"In only 20 years, a complete legislative and enforcement system
for IPR protection has been put in place in China, and public
awareness of IPR protection has been dramatically raised," Yi
stressed.
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He said since its WTO entry, all of China's IPR-related laws and
regulations had been amended to conform to the Trade-related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Agreement. Further, it
continues to intensify its IPR enforcement
efforts.??
(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2006)