DATE=2/23/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA-EU-W-T-O (L ONLY)
NUMBER=2-259475
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=

VOICED AT:


INTRO:  China and the European Union are holding a 
third day of critical talks aimed at securing a trade 
deal that will lead to Beijing's entry into the World 
Trade Organization.  VOA correspondent Roger Wilkison 
reports European diplomats say that -- so far -- the 
two sides have been unable to achieve a breakthrough 
in the negotiations.


TEXT:  Though the European Union mission in Beijing 
and the Chinese Foreign Trade Ministry have imposed a 
news blackout on the talks, diplomats from two E-U 
member countries say little progress has been made 
toward striking a deal.

The diplomats say the main obstacles continue to be 
China's refusal to meet E-U demands that Beijing allow 
greater access to the Chinese market for European 
insurance and telecommunications firms.

Negotiators have broken up into two groups to try to 
reach what one diplomat calls technical agreements in 
different fields.  But he says that - based on the 
discussions so far - there is little chance that E-U 
Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy will be traveling to 
the Chinese capital anytime soon to nail down a final 
accord.

China needs the consent of all of the W-T-O's 135 
members to join global trade's rule-making body.  The 
E-U is the most important of those members that have 
not yet signed such a pact with Beijing.

On Tuesday, China signed a trade deal with India, 
leaving the E-U and 12 other W-T-O members to finalize 
agreements with Beijing.

Before the latest round of China-E-U trade talks began 
on Monday, E-U officials listed telecommunications and 
financial services --including insurance -- as the 
main points of contention.  They also said the E-U 
would seek lower tariffs on certain goods produced by 
individual E-U member countries, such as English gin, 
Scotch whisky, French cosmetics and Italian leather 
products.  (SIGNED)


NEB/RW/FC 



23-Feb-2000 05:02 AM EDT (23-Feb-2000 1002 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America
.