Opening up to be even wider, says minister
Source: Xinhua |
March 9, 2013, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Minister of Commerce Chen Deming pledged that China will open even wider to the outside world.
Chen had been asked whether China was at a standstill in opening up and fulfilling the pledges it made to the World Trade Organization in its 2001 ascension.
"We recently concluded negotiations on free trade zones with 15 countries, and we are discussing new free trade zones with 13 others," Chen said at a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.
China is negotiating with the United States on a bilateral investment protection agreement.
It is pressing forward in free trade zone talks with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which involves the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as China, India, Japan, South Korea and Australia.
China is also currently engaged in free trade zone talks with Australia and six Gulf nations, and it has nearly completed negotiations on free trade agreements with Iceland and Switzerland.
"We will further expand free trade negotiations with other countries and regional organizations. But first, we will promote the early harvest of the results of the Doha Round of trade talks," he said.
China has been unsuccessfully applying for membership of WTO's Agreement on Government Procurement since 2007. In 2012, China offered prices for the fourth time, and they were more open than the previous three offerings.
To realize China's national policy of peaceful development, China and the rest of the world must open up to each other, said Chen, adding that amid this process, China must make its own decisions.
"As I understand it, opening up is meant to introduce the economic power of the global market to China.
"Our companies will meet more violent market competition in this process. But such competition will increase our strength and enable us to go out and better participate in global cooperation," he said.
Chen had been asked whether China was at a standstill in opening up and fulfilling the pledges it made to the World Trade Organization in its 2001 ascension.
"We recently concluded negotiations on free trade zones with 15 countries, and we are discussing new free trade zones with 13 others," Chen said at a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.
China is negotiating with the United States on a bilateral investment protection agreement.
It is pressing forward in free trade zone talks with the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, which involves the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as China, India, Japan, South Korea and Australia.
China is also currently engaged in free trade zone talks with Australia and six Gulf nations, and it has nearly completed negotiations on free trade agreements with Iceland and Switzerland.
"We will further expand free trade negotiations with other countries and regional organizations. But first, we will promote the early harvest of the results of the Doha Round of trade talks," he said.
China has been unsuccessfully applying for membership of WTO's Agreement on Government Procurement since 2007. In 2012, China offered prices for the fourth time, and they were more open than the previous three offerings.
To realize China's national policy of peaceful development, China and the rest of the world must open up to each other, said Chen, adding that amid this process, China must make its own decisions.
"As I understand it, opening up is meant to introduce the economic power of the global market to China.
"Our companies will meet more violent market competition in this process. But such competition will increase our strength and enable us to go out and better participate in global cooperation," he said.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
