While China's economic growth brings both opportunities and
challenges, people should focus more on the opportunities, Sun
Zhenyu, Chinese ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO),
said in Geneva on Tuesday.
Addressing a forum on "China's role in global trade governance,"
Sun said China had made great contributions to world economy and
world trade since it joined the WTO in 2001.
He said China's total import increased from US$243 billion in
2001 to US$791 billion in 2006, an annual increase of 45
percent.
In the same period, China's import from other developing
countries increased from US$123 billion to US$472 billion, an
annual increase of 56 percent.
In 2006, China's contribution to the world economic growth was
around 25 percent.
China's huge import of cotton has also helped the poor cotton
farmers in Africa, who have suffered a lot due to huge subsidies by
developed countries on cotton which heavily depressed the
price.
The two-day forum was organized by the Geneva-based
International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development, an
independent organization committed to making trade policy
supportive of sustainable development through dialog, information
and research.
With an audience of some 200 trade officials and experts, Sun
said China's current economic development can be sustained if the
country really adopts a scientific approach of development and put
the people's needs in the first place.
China also needs to raise the efficiency of energy consumption
and give great priority to environment protection, he said.
"Actually, President Hu Jintao has set the roadmap for a
sustainable development at the recent Party Conference," he
added.
Sun stressed that China was fully dedicated to the multilateral
trading system and would continue to work very closely with all
other WTO members to further strengthen the organization and
improve its work.
China will also continue to work constructively with other WTO
members, particularly developing members, to try to achieve a
balanced result of the Doha Round trade negotiations and bring a
win-win situation for development.
According to the ambassador, China shares with many other
developing countries the same experience in its past history, so it
is only natural for China to show its sympathy and support to the
legitimate requests and positions of other developing countries,
particularly LDCs (Lease Developed Countries) and SVEs (Small and
Vulnerable Economies).
"China will continue to provide technical assistance to LDCs and
other developing countries, particularly in the program of aid for
trade, and provide duty-free, quota-free treatment for LDCs which
have diplomatic relations with China," he said.
(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2007)
