U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky said today that she is confident Congress will back an agreement struck yesterday between the Clinton administration and China that paves the way for China’s entry into the World Trade Organization.
Under the agreement, reached after six days of negotiations, Beijing will reduce tariffs on various industrial and agricultural products, and lift trade barriers to allow foreign companies to operate in China. In exchange, the U.S. agreed to support China’s bid for membership in the WTO, the 135-member organization that sets the rules for international commerce.
Opponents of China’s entry into the WTO criticized the Clinton administration for ignoring China’s record of human rights and labor rights violations, and say they fear that they will lose only of the only bargaining chips that could be used to force Beijing to comply with international human rights standards.
The agreement comes just two weeks before foreign ministers from the WTO member nations are to meet in Seattle to establish rules on free trade. They will be met by tens of thousands of protesters from labor, human rights, environmental and other organizations that are converging on Seattle to protest the WTO’s exclusion of fundamental human rights from its trade agenda.
Guest:
- Lori Wallach, Director of Global Trade Watch. To contact, call (202) 456 4996.
