Copyright 2000 Times Publishing Company
St.
Petersburg Times
March 14, 2000, Tuesday, 0 South Pinellas
Edition
SECTION: NATIONAL; IN BRIEF; Pg. 2A
LENGTH: 562 words
HEADLINE:
China aims to join WTO - Congress vote or not
SOURCE:
Compiled from Times Wires
DATELINE: BEIJING; TAIPEI,
Taiwan
BODY:
China's top trade official
declared Monday that Beijing will press for entry into the World Trade
Organization this year with or without the blessing of the U.S. Congress. He
also bluntly warned that U.S. failure to permanently reduce tariffs on Chinese
exports would cost American businesses access to "the tremendous market of
China."
The comments by Shi Guang Sheng, minister for foreign trade and
economic cooperation, departed from past statements by China's leaders. Until
Monday, trade officials in Beijing had avoided discussing the possibility that
they might press for WTO entry without the U.S. Congress voting to approve
permanent normal trade relations.
China must win the
support of at least two-thirds of the 135 WTO members to gain admission to the
trade group. Noting that China has completed bilateral negotiations with all but
10 WTO members, Shi predicted that "it won't be long before China becomes a full
member."
The Clinton administration signed a bilateral WTO accord with
China in November, but so far the White House has had limited success persuading
legislators to scrap a law that forces Congress to vote each year on whether to
extend trade rights to China.
Taiwan candidates make
stock
plunge an issue
TAIPEI, Taiwan - Candidates in Taiwan's presidential
campaign blamed each other Monday for a record plunge in the stock market.
The 617-point fall in the Weighted Price Index was the largest ever; it
was the biggest drop in percentage terms, 6.5 percent, in a decade.
Candidate Lien Chan of the ruling Nationalists called the drop an
example of the damage an opposition victory in Saturday's vote could do to the
economy. "Don't elect someone who will bring disaster and war to
Taiwan," said Lien.
Chen Shui Bian of the pro-independence
Democratic Progressive Party accused the Nationalists of inspiring the stock
market plunge to further their own political goals. Chen did not say how he
thought the Nationalists caused the drop.
"If Abian is elected, I
guarantee the stock market will go past 10,000," the former Taipei mayor
told supporters, referring to himself by his nickname.
Finance Minister
Paul Chiu said there was no fundamental reason for the plunge and that
"investors are overreacting."
Also running for president is independent
James Soong. The candidates are vying to replace retiring President Lee Teng
Hui.
Elsewhere . . .
ISRAELI VOTES: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud
Barak's government survived two no-confidence motions in parliament Monday. One,
citing a government plan to include works by a Palestinian poet on an optional
reading list for Israeli schools, was defeated 47-42 with three abstentions.
IMF PICK: Germany secured unanimous backing from the European Union on
Monday for Horst Koehler, head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development, to lead the International Monetary Fund. President Clinton, who
rejected Germany's first choice, called German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder to
offer support for Koehler.
IRANIAN REFORMER: Iranian reformer Saeed
Hajjarian was in a coma Monday after an assassination attempt the day before. No
arrests had been made.
SHARIF TRIAL: A Pakistani judge adjourned the
trial of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday to consider the defense
lawyers' demand for a change of venue after the killing of one of their
colleagues.
LOAD-DATE: March 14, 2000
