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China's WTO Entry Benefits All: Trade Official. Sun Zhenyu, vice minister of foreign trade and economic cooperation, said Saturday in Shanghai that China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) will not only benefit the people of China, but also people in other parts of the world. China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) will not only benefit the people of China, but also people in other parts of the world, a Chinese foreign trade official said Saturday in Shanghai. Sun Zhenyu, vice minister of foreign trade and economic cooperation, made the remark while addressing the "Adaptation and Involvement: WTO and the Developing Economies" seminar held during the ongoing 3rd Shanghai International Industry Exposition. In his speech, Sun stressed that mutual complementarity overrides competition in the overall economic and trade relations between China and other developing countries. He added that some countries have expressed concern that China 's entry to the WTO will result in fiercer competitions for them in both export and attracting overseas investment. "As a matter of fact, such worries are unnecessary," said Sun, "China, like other countries, has its own economic advantages, but also needs to learn from others' strong points to offset its shortcomings through participating in international competition and cooperation." Both expansion in the division of labor and technical progress depend on the broadening of the market, Sun went on, saying the Chinese market has the biggest potential in the world, and China's entry to the WTO will undoubtedly promote better amalgamation of the Chinese and global economies. The proposal on China's accession to the WTO was passed on November 10, during the Doha meeting in Qatar, but China is to be formally inducted as a WTO member starting from December 11 this year. In his speech on Saturday, Sun reiterated the Chinese government's stand on seriously carrying out its commitments to the WTO in accordance with the principle of equal rights for equal obligations. China has made unremitting efforts in opening up the country's market and observing international practices since the nation introduced its reform and opening-up drive more than two decades ago. In January this year, China had slashed its overall tariffs to 15.3 percent, and is determined to bring the proportion down to 10 percent by 2005. In the meantime, the country has reduced the number of quota- required foreign trade products from 1,247 in 1992 to 300 at present. Moreover, it has promised to gradually revoke quota requirements from foreign trade products within the next few years, following its WTO entry. On China's entry into the world trade club, the country will also gradually open more fields to overseas investors, including banking, insurance, telecom, trade, tourism and commerce, and actively promote the opening-up of central and western China, Sun added. **** Mubarak Heads to Libya for Unexpected Visit. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak flew to Tripoli Sunday for talks with Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi on the international situation. The visit, which was not announced in advance, came after Mubarak met with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on the latest situation in the occupied Palestinian territories earlier in the day. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak flew to Tripoli Sunday for talks with Libyan leader Muammar Ghaddafi on the international situation. Mubarak's visit was within the context of continued consultations between Mubarak and Arab leaders on the latest developments in the Middle East region and the world at large, Egypt's state-run MENA news agency reported, without elaborating. The visit, which was not announced in advance, came after Mubarak met with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat on the latest situation in the occupied Palestinian territories earlier in the day. U.S. Assistant Secretary of State William Burns and retired general Anthony Zinni are due in the Mideast region on Monday in a fresh diplomatic effort to help end the 14-month-old Palestinian- Israeli conflict, which has left nearly 1,000 people dead, most of them the Palestinians. **** Chinese Military Leader Starts Visit to Zambia. Fu Quanyou, member of China's Central Military Commission and chief of General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), arrived in Lusaka on Sunday to begin his official and good-will visit to this southern central African country. Fu Quanyou, member of China's Central Military Commission and chief of General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), arrived in Lusaka on Sunday to begin his official and good-will visit to this southern central African country. Zambian Defense Minister Joshua Simuyandi and other high- ranking military officers met Fu and his entourage at the airport. Delivering a written speech at the airport, Fu noted that the traditional friendship between the Chinese and Zambian people and cooperation between the two armed forces have developed over the past decades. The main objective of his current visit, the first one ever by a PLA chief of general staff, is to enhance mutual understanding, deepen friendship, expand common ground and promote cooperation, he said. The Chinese government and military forces value highly their friendship and cooperation with Zambia, Fu added. During his four-day visit, Fu is expected to meet Zambian President Frederick Chiluba and have discussions with Simuyandi and foreign minister Keli Walubita on furthering China-Zambia relations. He will also tour some military establishments in Lusaka. Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Peng Keyu and Military Attache of the Chinese Embassy Liu Shengli were also present at the airport to greet Fu and his entourage, including Zhang Dingfa, deputy commander of the Chinese Navy, Wang Chaoqun, deputy commander of the PLA Chengdu Military Area Command and commander of the air force of the Chengdu Military Area Command, and Yuan Xinghua, commander of the Zhejiang Provincial Military Area Command. **** Vietnam's President Arrived in Cambodia for State Visit. Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong arrived Phnom Penh at 9:30 a. m. local time Monday for a 3-daystate visit to Cambodia, at the invitation of King Norodom Sihanouk. Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong arrived here at 9:30 a. m. local time Monday for a 3-day state visit to Cambodia, at the invitation of King Norodom Sihanouk. King Sihanouk, Senate President Chea Sim and National Assembly President Norodom Ranariddh greeted the Vietnamese president at the airport. Among those at present at the airport were other Cambodian senior officials and foreign diplomats. The Vietnamese president will be granted a royal audience by King Sihanouk, and Senate President Chea Sim, National Assembly President Norodom Ranariddh and Prime Minister Hun Sen will pay separate calls on Tran Duc Luong. During the visit, Cambodia and Vietnam will sign an Agreement Concerning the Promotion and Protection of Investments, an Agreement on the Purchase, Goods Exchange and Trade Service in theBorder Areas, and a Memorandum of Understanding between the foreign ministries of Cambodia and Vietnam. It is expected that a Joint Declaration on the Framework for Bilateral Cooperation between Cambodia and Vietnam would be issued. **** No Chechen Issue beyond Negotiation - Rebel Envoy. An envoy for separatist Chechen president Aslan Maskhadov said on Sunday that there was no issue concerning the breakaway Russian republic which could not be solved through negotiations with Moscow. An envoy for separatist Chechen president Aslan Maskhadov said on Sunday that there was no issue concerning the breakaway Russian republic which could not be solved through negotiations with Moscow. "I am sure there is no problem which cannot be solved over the negotiating table", Akhmed Zakayev told an interview with Russian television channel NTV. His comments come after talks last weekend at Moscow's international airport with the Kremlin's Viktor Kazantsev, the first such meeting since Moscow launched its "anti-terrorist" operation in Chechnya in October 1999. Zakayev described the meeting as "very constructive", and said the talks "marked the opening of a new chapter to stop the bloodshed in Chechnya." "We were listened to and we exchanged ideas not only on the current situation but also on how to bring the crisis to an end". Zakayev added that he did not believe the talks were merely for propaganda purposes for a foreign audience, but were rooted in a "real desire" to see the conflict end. Moscow, however, has played down the significance of the meeting, saying that the political structure of Chechnya is not up for negotiation and that the talks had focused purely on demanding the rebels lay down their arms. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
