PRESS RELEASE
PRESS/230
11 June 2001
(01-3049)
MOORE WELCOMES CHINA-U.S. AGREEMENT ON CHINESE ACCESSION
GENEVA – World Trade Organization Director -General Mike Moore welcomed today the
announcement in Shanghai of the China-U.S. agreement on the Chinese accession to the WTO.
Mr. Moore, who met with both Chinese Trade Minister Shi Guangsheng and U.S. Trade
Representative Robert Zoellick in Shanghai during the ministerial meeting of the Asia PacificEconomic Co-operation forum, said he was impressed with the focus and determination shown by
both ministers.
"This weekend's announcement clearly represents the push we needed to accelerate China's
accession so that a decision on China's membership can be taken by our Ministerial Conference inDoha, Qatar this November," he said.  "China's clear commitment to a rapid accession as well as its
unequivocal support for launching a new round of multilateral trade negotiations bodes extremely
well for the Doha Ministerial Conference and the future of the WTO."
Equally important,  Mr. Moore noted, is the declared intention of European Union Trade
Commissioner Pascal Lamy to move swiftly to conclude outstanding EU issues with China.
Mr. Moore urged all participants in the China Accession Working Party to bridge remaining
differences during their meeting 28 June to 4 July in Geneva so that a decision on China's WTO
membership can be taken this year.
Mr. Moore said it was important that the key players work quickly to translate negotiating
progress into multilaterally viable texts and other related data for the information and approval of
WTO Members in Geneva.  The forthcoming meeting of the Working Party offers an excellent
opportunity to make progress in this area, he said.
"The stage is clearly set for a substantive negotiating meeting later this month and for
intensive work between now and Doha to clear up other parts of China's final accession package."
END