Foreigners working in China are concerned at whether China can
fulfill the commitments it made in joining the
World Trade Organization (WTO).
Matthew Andersonbian, Asia-Pacific president of Ogilbvy, is among
those who expressed such concerns prior to the annual sessions of
the National People's Congress (NPC) and the National Committee of
the (Chinese
People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
Andersonbian said global enterprises have markedly increased their
confidence in China following its accession to the WTO.
"However, I also noticed that the US Government has 15 agencies
specially to observe how China abides by its WTO commitments," he
said.
The coming annual sessions of the NPC and CPPCC, the first to be
held following China's WTO entry, will provide a good opportunity
for people at home and abroad to observe closely how China reacts
to the opportunities and challenges brought by its WTO entry.
Andersonbian noted that foreign enterprises are following closely
the development of China's legal framework, because the fundamental
requirement of the WTO is to do business in accordance with the
rules.
To
attract more investors, he said, the Chinese Government has to
create a sound environment that is transparent and open.
Kim Woodard, chairman of Beijing-based Javelin Investment, said
many foreign business people are expecting China to enhance
protection of intellectual property rights, adding this is an issue
that needs to be solved urgently.
Woodard, who has been in China for eight years, said the nation
must see to it that all its existing laws are earnestly enforced
and he expressed the hope that China's lawmaking process will
become more transparent.
New laws and regulations must be made known to all enterprises,
including foreign ones, before they are put into force, he
said.
John Smagula, a visiting professor at the Law School of Tsinghua
University from the United States, is a lawyer by profession.
He suggested that starting this year, China's NPC should pay more
attention to WTO-related legislation, saying this will help Chinese
laws meet world standards and enhance the transparency of China's
legal framework.
He
said the NPC has a large number of highly competent experts now and
they can help the NPC improve its work. He suggested that different
NPC committees send people to other countries and learn from their
experience in lawmaking.
Foreign business people also showed their interest in the economic
situation and other issues of China.
Graham Patterson, an Australian teaching English at a university in
Beijing, said he would like to know whether China can have
sustained and steady economic growth and whether the Chinese
Government can meet its targets of economic development.
Kazuya Shimada, director of the ANN-All Nippon News Network
Shanghai Bureau, will come to Beijing to cover the NPC annual
session today.
He
believed the Chinese Government should make greater efforts in
narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor through the annual
sessions of the NPC and CPPCC.
(Xinhua News
Agency March 4, 2002)