TwentyAsiaPacificleadersissuedafinaldeclarationattheendoftheannualAPECsummit.PresidentJiangZeminwhohostedthemeetingsaidthemainpriorityfortheleadersistoreversethecurrenteconomicdownturnbyachievingsustainedandbroad-basedgrowthalthoughtheyexpressedconfidencefortheregion’seconomyinthemediumandlongterm.
JiangZemin:Weagreethatitisparticularlyimportantformajoreconomiestoactquicklyanddecisivelyto3)stabilizethemarket.
Mr.JiangaddedthattheleaderssupportedanewroundofglobaltradetalkswhilestressingthatChina’s4)imminentaccessiontotheWorldTradeOrganizationwouldhelp5)strengtheneconomiccooperationworldwide.Andtheso-calledShanghaiAccordistolaythefoundationforfutureAPECdevelopmentincomingyears.Theleadersalsocondemnedlastmonth’sterroristattacksontheUnitedStates.
THREEStepsofChina’s6)AccessiontoWTO
10thofNovember
WorldTradeOrganizationministersareexpectedtoformallyapproveChina’sentryintotheglobalbodylatertonight.Ministershavealsobegunnegotiationsinabidtoreachagreementsonanewroundoftradetalks.
WTOministersbegantheirmeetingintheQataricapitalDohatryingtoresolvetheirdifferencestolaunchanewroundofglobaltradetalkswhichtheyfailedtoachievetwoyearsagoinSeattle.Developingcountrieswanttoensurethattheywillnotbevictimizedbythemovetowardsglobalization.
Theprospectsofanagreementreceiveda7)boostafterChina’schiefWTOnegotiatorsaidthekeystumblingblockofagricultural8)subsidieshasbeenresolved.WTOministersarealsoexpectedtoagreeonanhistoricdecisiontowelcomeChinaintothetradebodytonight.
11thofNovember
There’sbeenagenerallyfavorableresponsetoChinajoiningtheWorldTradeOrganization.Therearehopesthatthemainland’saccessionwillofferaboosttoanagreementonanewroundofglobaltradetalks.ButBeijingwarnedthatmembershipwouldbringconflictsandnewchallengestothecountry.
YusefHusseinKamal(QatariTradeMinister):Inaccordancewiththedecision-makingprocedureunderArticleNineandTwelveoftheWorldTradeOrganizationAgreement,agreedNovember_95WT/L/93toadoptthedraftdecisionontheaccessionofthePeople’sRepublicofChina,theMinistersMinisterialConferencesoagrees.
ThehistoricannouncementinQatarcappedChina’s15-yearquesttojointheWorldTradeOrganization.ForeignTradeMinisterShiGuangshengstressedthatChinawillcontinueto9)abidebyWTOrulesandregulationsafteritbecomesthe143rdcountrytojointheglobaltradebody.Mr.Shilaterheldaseriesofmeetingswithothertradeministersforanewroundof10)bilateralnegotiations.
12thofNovember
(Atthesigningceremony.)
MikeMoore(WTODirectorGeneral):ItisadefiningmomentbothfortheWTOandforChinaaswellasfortheinternational,economic,politicalandsecurityarrangementsthatwillinfluenceourworldinthiscenturyandbeyond.InnearuniversalacceptanceoftheWTO’srules-basedsystemwillservea11)pivotalrollin12)underpinningglobaleconomiccooperation.
TheaccessionofChinaisa13)momentousevent,havingthesemajortradersinsidewilltrulyshowusatlasttobeaWorldTradeOrganization.Injoiningthisrule’sbasedorganization,whicharemutuallyagreedby14)consensus,enforceablethroughthedisputesettlementssystem,Chinawill15)cementeconomicreformsthathavebeen16)unilaterallyputintoplaceovermorethan20years.Moreover,inembracingtheWTO,Beijinghasacceptedthatopennessfortradeingoodsandservicesiscriticaltoensuringaprosperousfutureforhercitizens.Exposuretocompetitionwillnotbeeasy,butitwillensurethatChinaanditsenterprisesbecomemoreefficientandmoreproductive.ThebeginningoftheopeningupofChinain1979wasoneofthe17)hallmarkeventsofthe20thCentury.IamconfidentthatwhenhistoriansreflectonChina’sentryintotheWTO,theywillrankthisasoneofthemostsignificanteventsofthe21st,bothforChina,fortheWTOandfortheworld.
ListeningComprehension
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