China will make public the contents of all protocol and agreements concerning its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) very soon, said a senior trade official in Beijing on Monday.

Zhang Xiangchen, deputy director-general of WTO affairs of Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC), made these remarks at a press conference in Beijing on Monday on China's Entry into WTO.

Because of public demand, China will translate the agreement into Chinese as soon as possible, making sure of the accuracy and integrity of the translated text.

To meet the needs of China's accession to WTO, MOFTEC has set up the Department of WTO Affairs, the China-WTO Notification Inquiry Center and the Fair Trade Bureau for Imports and Exports, said Gao Yan, chief of MOFTEC general office, at a press conference.

A series of books entitled "Essential Knowledge on China's Accession to the World Trade Organization," compiled by trade experts who participated in the WTO negotiations, will also be published soon, Gao announced.

MOFTEC plans to work out special programs on China's entry into WTO, said Gao.

When asked about China's work on the revision of foreign trade and economic regulations, Zhang Yuqing, MOFTEC director-general of treaties and laws, said that trade provisions and laws at the central level have been revised.

MOFTEC has also revised and formulated its own foreign trade laws and administrative regulations, and local foreign trade provisions have been carefully studied.

China will balance its rights and obligations after entry into WTO, Zhang Xiangchen said. While promising to further open its market and to abide by WTO rules, China will benefit from the achievement made by multilateral trade institutions during the long process of trade and investment facilitation.

China will benefit from promises made by other members during the Uruguay-round agreements, and from multilateral and stable most-favored-nation unconditional treatment.

(Xinhua News Agency November 27, 2001)