DATE=3/28/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CHINA-EU-WTO (L)
NUMBER=2-260671
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=

VOICED AT:


INTRO:  China and the European Union have opened a new 
round of negotiations to secure Beijing's entry into 
the World Trade Organization.  VOA correspondent Roger 
Wilkison reports the talks began hours after E-U Trade 
Commissioner Pascal Lamy arrived in the Chinese 
capital.


TEXT:  Mr. Lamy says he is in a constructive mood, 
despite the failure of his negotiators to make a 
breakthrough in two previous rounds of talks this 
year.  But European diplomats in Beijing say the E-U 
delegation is ready to leave if it does not get what 
it wants.

The 15-nation E-U is the last major W-T-O member with 
which China has to reach agreement on terms of 
accession into the group.  Beijing struck a landmark 
agreement with the United States last November that 
will open up its market to U-S goods and services.  
But the Europeans say that deal satisfies only about 
80 percent of their concerns.  And they are pushing 
for more concessions than China granted Washington, 
especially in the automotive, insurance and 
telecommunications sectors.

Chinese news media are upbeat about the possibility 
their country can reach a deal with Brussels and 
finally get into the W-T-O after 14 years of trying.  
That optimism was reflected Tuesday by Foreign 
Ministry spokesman Sun Yuxi, who, speaking through an 
interpreter, says there are only eight W-T-O members -
-including the EU -- that have not yet struck a deal 
with Beijing.

            /////INTERPRETER ACTUALITY/////

China's top leaders all attach great importance to the 
negotiations between China and the E-U and hope that 
both sides can reach an agreement at an early date.  
The early conclusion of such a bilateral agreement 
conforms with the interest of both sides.

            /////END ACTUALITY/////

Chinese trade officials, however, say there are limits 
to the concessions Beijing is willing to make to the 
E-U.  China's top negotiator, Long Yongtu, indicated 
last week in Geneva that his country cannot give to 
one trading partner, meaning the E-U, what it had been 
unable to promise to another, meaning the United 
States.  Mr. Long's boss -- Foreign Trade Minister Shi 
Guangsheng -- sought to accentuate the positive, 
saying there are few remaining disputes between China 
and the E-U.  But he, too, cautioned that there are 
pledges China cannot make to any W-T-O member.

There is no indication how long the European 
delegation will stay in China.  Mr. Lamy says he will 
not comment on the negotiations until they are over.  
(SIGNED)

NEB/RW/FC



28-Mar-2000 05:14 AM EDT (28-Mar-2000 1014 UTC)
NNNN

Source: Voice of America
.