IntermsoffulfillmentofWTO(WorldTradeOrganization)commitments,allmembersoftheorganizationshouldbetreatedequally.Firstofall,China鈥檚WTOaccessioncommitments,whichweremadewhenthecountrywasadmittedtotheorganizationin2001,wererecordedinthreedocuments:ProtocolontheAccessionofthePeople鈥檚RepublicofChinatotheWTOandtworeportsfromtheworkingpartyontheaccessionofChinatotheWTO.ThetworeportsspecifiedChina鈥檚promisestoopenupitsservicesmarket.Andtheprotocoldefinedthecountry鈥檚otherpromisesoutsidetherealmoftheservicesmarket.Second,afteryearsofChina鈥檚accessiontotheWTO,membersoftheorganizationshouldbeveryclearofChina鈥檚compliancewithitsWTOcommitments.ForquestionsastowhetherChinahasopenedupincompliancewithitscommitments,whetheritmettargetsonthetimetableandwhetherreformshavebeencarriedoutinsomeareas,theresultsshouldbeclear.Third,since2006,theWTOhasbeenperformingatradepolicyreviewonChinaeverytwoyears.EveryWTOmembercansuperviseChina鈥檚fulfillmentofitsWTOcommitmentswithintheWTOframework.IfanyonehascomplaintsaboutChina,thetwosidescansolvetheproblemwithintheWTOreviewmechanism.
However,majordisagreementsexistbetweenChinaandacertaindevelopedWTOmemberonChina鈥檚fulfillmentofitsWTOcommitments.Inreportssubmittedbythemembers鈥檛raderepresentativeofficetoitsCongressinthepastfewyears,thiscountryexpresseddisappointmentsaboutChina,claimingthatChinawasnotfulfillingcertainkeycommitmentsitmadewhenitjoinedtheWTOandthatsupportingChina鈥檚admissiontotheWTOwasamistake.China,ofcourse,stronglydisagreed.SinceitsadmissiontotheWTO,ChinahasstrictlyabidedbyWTOrulesandimplementeditsWTOcommitments.Asearlyas2011,Chinaissuedawhitepaper,statingithadcomprehensivelyfulfilleditscommitmentstotheWTO.OnJune28,2018,Chinareleasedanotherwhitepapertitled鈥淐hinaandtheWorldTradeOrganization,鈥漺hichprovidesadetailedaccountofChina鈥檚fulfillmentofitsWTOcommitments.
China鈥檚accountofitsfulfillmentofWTOcommitmentsmainlyconsistsofthecomparisonsbetweenChina鈥檚WTOaccessionpromisesanditscurrentimplementation.Thismethodisfalsifiable鈥攊fChinaweretolie,otherWTOmemberscouldeasilyclaim.Infact,usingthismethodsolely,theinternationalcommunityhasreachedconsensusthatChinahasfulfilleditsWTOcommitments.However,theaforementionedWTOmemberhasadifferentunderstandingofthisissue.Ingeneral,onwhetherChinahasobeyedWTOrules,thecountryreacheditsconclusionprimarilybasedonChina鈥檚statusquo.AsforwhetherChinahasbrokenanyWTOrulesandwhichspecificWTOrulesChinahasviolated,itcannotprovideanyclearanswers.The2018reportonChina鈥檚WTOcomplianceaboutintellectualproperty(IP)submittedbythismember鈥檚traderepresentativeofficetoitsCongressisaprimeexample.
Firstofall,thereportadmittedthatChinahaschangeditslawsandregulationsonIPrightsaccordingtoWTO鈥檚AgreementonTrade-RelatedAspectsofIntellectualPropertyRights(TRIPS).However,thereportwentontodeclarethatitfoundChina鈥檚acts,policies,andpracticesrelatedtoIPstilldiscriminatoryandaburdenonthecountry鈥檚exportsandinvestments.Thus,thismemberidentifiedChinaonthePriorityWatchListinits2017Special301Report.UnderWTOframework,IPrelatedrulesarestipulatedintheTRIPSagreement.SincethismemberalreadyadmittedthatChinahasabidedbytheTRIPSagreement,ithasnostandingtoattackChinaintheIPrealm.Itisatypical鈥渕ycountryfirst鈥漷heory:ItblamesChinaonlybecauseitbelievesChina鈥檚IPprotectionexertsanegativeimpactonitsowninterests.Actually,thetwosideshavelittledisputeonChina鈥檚statusquo.ThemajordivergenceisthatChinabelievesithasfulfilleditsWTOcompliancebasedonitsWTOaccessionpromiseswhilethisdevelopedmemberstatemovedthegoalpostsonChina鈥檚WTOaccessionpromisesandhasdeliberatelysetnewstandardsbasedonitsowninterests.ItbelievedthatthesenewstandardsshouldbeChina鈥檚promisesorthelevelChinashouldreach.Thiscountrydoesn鈥檛carewhetherChinafulfilledthecommitmentsthatweremadetotheWTO.Initseyes,onlywhenChinareachestheopeningandmarketoperationlevelsitwantswillChinafulfillitsWTOcompliance.
ThiscountrybelievesthatChina鈥檚operationsystemhasn鈥檛beenmarket-orientedenough,andthatWTOrulescannotconstrainChina鈥檚鈥渢wisted鈥漨arketbehavior.Itarguesthisharmsitsinterestsandcauseslossestoitsdomesticmanufacturers,farmers,serviceenterprises,innovators,workersandconsumers.ThisWTOmemberbelievesthatalthoughmuchofChina鈥檚鈥渋mproper鈥漛ehaviorcanbemanagedbyWTOrules,substantialloopholesexisttocircumventWTOdirectsupervisionthatwereomissionsfromChina鈥檚WTOaccessionpromises.
ChinashouldtakeactivemeasurestoclearlyexhibithowithasfulfilleditsWTOcommitments.Chinashouldalsobecomemoreawareofthechallengesitwillfaceinfuturedevelopment.ItshouldinspiremoreWTOmemberstorealizethatthisspecificmember鈥檚reportsonChina鈥檚WTOcomplianceareinaccurateandbiased.
TheauthorisvicedirectorandassociateresearcheroftheInternationalTradeResearchDivision,InstituteofWorldEconomicsandPoliticsundertheChineseAcademyofSocialSciences.
November9,2016:IntheMoscowwarehouseofaChineseinternationale-commercelogisticsenterprise,alocalworkerpreparesgoodsfortheupcomingSingle鈥檚DayonlineshoppingfestivalonNovember11.Xinhua