Chinese President Jiang Zemin urged in HK Tuesday the developed countries concerned to fully understand that China's entry into the World Trade Organization （WTO ） at an early date will benefit all parties and bring the negotiations with China to an end as soon as possible.
It is the consistent attitude and stance of the Chinese government that China must become a WTO member as a developing country. And this is a principle， Jiang said at a meeting with some leading entrepreneurs in the world and representatives from Hong Kong's business circles who are here attending the Fortune Global Forum.
Jiang said negotiations on China's entry into the WTO have been going on for 15 years ， and there still exist some differences in the multilateral negotiations. China has been keeping contacts and exchanges with relevant parties in order to resolve these issues.
He noted that China's accession to the WTO will promote the economic development in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region（SAR ）。
Backed by an inland area that opens wider to the outside world and enjoys a more dynamic economy after China enters the WTO， Hong Kong will strengthen its position as an international financial ，trade and shipping center， Jiang said.
Hong Kong enterprises will be provided with more opportunities to enter the mainland market and benefit more in the wake of China 's accession to the WTO as China will open wider to the outside world， both sectorwise and geographically， and the economic ties between the mainland and Hong Kong will become even closer， the president said.
Jiang said that China has had a good start for its Tenth Five- Year Plan which begins this year ， with its GDP growing by 8.1 percent year on year in the first quarter of the year. This is in sharp contrast to the slowdown of the world economy. He added.
He said China has successfully fulfilled its Ninth Five-Year Plan （1996-2000 ）， initially established a socialist market economic system， improved the state's macro-economic control system， further pushed forward its opening-up drive， and scored notable growth in foreign trade and the use of foreign capital.
China will keep a sound ， steady and sustained economic growth in the new century ， Jiang noted.
Vice-Premier Qian Qichen and Chief Executive of the Hong Kong SAR Tung Chee Hwa were present at the meeting.
(Xinhua 05/08/2001)
