Fifteen years after its first application, China is now confident that membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is within its grasp. Speaking on a trip to Brussels, Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji said that the largest hurdle facing China was a row between the European Union and the US over access to China’s insurance market.

Final meetings are to be held in Geneva from Monday, September 10, where China is already building its permanent mission for the WTO. China has been lowering tariffs in preparation for membership over the past few years, and other countries are preparing themselves for a flood of cheap Chinese goods should China become a member.

Share this story: