China and EU Agree to Accelerate WTO Entry Talks

Chinese President Jiang Zemin met with French President Jacques Chirac and European Commission President Romano Prodi in Beijing, marking the third summit of China and the European Union. The meeting aimed to accelerate negotiations concerning China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). Jiang emphasized the importance of the EU's attitude in speeding up the negotiations, highlighting China's desire for early entry into the global trading system. The EU expressed a willingness to work with China to conclude the negotiations within coming weeks.

Key Takeaways:

• Chinese President Jiang Zemin urged EU leaders to approach multi-lateral negotiations concerning China's WTO entry from a strategic perspective, aiming for an early date of entry.
• Jiang stressed the significance of the EU's attitude in accelerating the negotiations, emphasizing China's hopes for support from EU leaders, including President Chirac and President Prodi.
• The EU expressed its willingness to work with China to conclude the negotiations within coming weeks, aiming to push forward with an early entry for China into the WTO.
• Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji had a friendly meeting with EU leaders, including President Chirac and President Prodi, earlier in the day, where they exchanged views on wide-ranging issues and reached broad consensus.
• The summit meeting aimed to push forward the development of Sino-EU relations, as emphasized by President Chirac.
• The negotiations concerning China's WTO entry are considered satisfactory by the EU, according to President Chirac, who also expressed his gratitude for the warm reception extended by the Chinese hosts.

Statistics:

• China has been seeking entry into the WTO since 1995 (Source: The World Trade Organization).
• The EU has been actively supporting China's WTO entry, recognizing the benefits of increased trade and cooperation between the two sides (Source: European Commission).
• The third summit of China and the EU marks a significant step toward strengthening bilateral relations and promoting economic cooperation (Source: XINHUA NEWS AGENCY).

Sources:

• XINHUA NEWS AGENCY
• The World Trade Organization
• European Commission