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China's vast population failed to notice any great impact on their lives when China joined the World Trade Organization on December 11, 2001, but one year on, things have changed remarkably.
On January 1, China reduced import tariffs from an average 15.3 percent to 12 percent.
Of over 5,000 varieties of products imported into China, automobiles are the most sought after.
The import tariff on automobiles with a discharge volume below three liters fell from 70 percent to 43.8 percent, making possible the dream of many would-be car owners. The hot weather and the football World Cup failed to deter more than 400,000 people from going to an international auto exhibition in Beijing in June.
Car sales in China hit a record high every month and over 65 percent are sold to private buyers.
The Chinese people have found more imported products in their lives. Fancy limousines, Indonesian fruits, French perfumes and Italian shoes are now sold at lower prices than before.
Not only goods, but services provided by overseas firms are adding color to everyday life. After WTO entry, foreign-funded banks and insurance companies began to swarm into the country. Beijing people have been enjoying financial services offered by overseas firms. In future, the Chinese will have more choice in tourism, air transport, legal services and advertising.
The Chinese know they are more closely linked to the global economy. Families with cars show concern about crises in the Middle East which affect gasoline prices here.
WTO accession requires changes in governmental operations, which means more efficient work up to international standards by civil servants. The year saw thousands of laws and regulations amended and tens of thousands of officials receiving WTO-related training.
"Now it's much faster to get a restaurant license from the government," said a man surnamed Zhang in Shanghai. The improvement in governmental work benefits both foreign business people and common Chinese.
People of all ages are learning foreign languages. Statistics show at least 300,000 Chinese attended all types of foreign language courses in Beijing this year, each spending about 1,000 yuan (120 US dollars).
More college graduates now prefer to work in foreign-funded companies or domestic private sectors. Traditionally government organizations and state-owned enterprises were the first choices of most job seekers.
The Chinese this year felt more pressure than before, not only because overseas products and services brought challenges to local companies, but some Chinese exports with comparative advantages were frequently blocked by quarantine standards, safeguard measures and anti-dumping investigations. International trade disputes involving China's steel products, cigarette lighters and vegetables were often headlines in Chinese newspapers.
Yet the Chinese still see stability among the changes. Not a single industry has been ruined by international competition, nor have the prices of any imports rocketed.
"Everything looks the same, but everything is changing," said a student at Beijing University. "This reflects China's implementation of WTO promises as well as its gradual opening-up policy."
(People's Daily December 12, 2002)
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