Brasil e China no Reordenamento das Relações ... - Funag

azil-china and the reordering of international relations
3. China and the GATT/WTO
In 1979, China adopted the “open door” policy, and subsequently,
China started a step-by-step approach to re-integrate itself in the GATT/
WTO. In 1983, China became a signatory of the MFA (Multi-fibre
Arrangement). In 1986, China started the accession negotiations and
decided to: i) resume its GATT Contracting Party status; ii) undertake
tariff concessions; and iii) negotiate as a developing country. China was
also a full participant in the Uruguay Round.
China’s decision to re-integrate itself in the multilateral trading
system constituted a fundamental element of its “Open Door” policy.
It aimed at achieving a greater degree of re-integration in the world
economy. This underlined the strategic shift of China’s economic
development thinking towards a more outward-looking approach.
China recognized that its bilateral agreements with the major
industrialized countries did not provide China with full benefits of MFN
treatment in its true sense. Its exports were subject to various kinds
of discriminatory trade measures (e.g. discriminatory QRs, selective
safeguard, and anti-dumping and countervailing actions on the basis of
the so-called non-market economy criteria).
For domestic reasons, China needed the GATT/WTO membership
to: 1) consolidated its economic reform programmed; 2) made its “Open
Door” policy irreversible; and 3) make its trade with other countries
based upon multilaterally agreed rules and disciplines rather than rules
unilaterally defined and imposed.
China, as part of its accession commitments, has agreed to undertake
some far-reaching obligations and commitments. 3 In addition, some
residual discriminatory measures maintained against China by major
trading partners are given general applicability, though they would
be eliminated by specified dates. These far-reaching obligations and
3 China made immense market-opening commitments in the areas of both goods and services:
For industrial goods the average bound tariff level went down to 8.9 per cent, with a range from
0 to 47 per cent, with the highest rates applied to photographic film and automobiles and related
products. Some tariffs were eliminated and others reduced, mostly by 2004 but in no case later
than 2010; after implementation of all the commitments made, China’s average bound tariff
level decreased to 15 per cent for agricultural products. The range is from 0 to 65 per cent, with
the higher rates applied to cereals; On Services, China’s commitments were more extensive
than those of other developing countries; and China also committed to implement the TRIPs
Agreement in full from date of accession.
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