| Statement by Chinese Delegation on WTO Trade Policy Review of Central African Republic |
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| 2007-06-29 15:25 常驻WTO代表团 |
11 June 2007
Mr. Chairman,
First of all, let me express my warm welcome to the delegation of Central African Republic for its first trade policy review. I would like to thank H. E. Ms. Kougougueret Mologbama, Minister of Commerce and Small and Medium Enterprises, for her comprehensive statement on the economic and trade policy developments of Central African Republic in the recent years. My thanks also go to the government of Central African Republic and the WTO Secretariat for their respective reports and the discussant, Mr. Bogaert, for his enlightening statement.
Mr. Chairman, China notes with pleasure the remarkable achievements made by the Central African Republic for its political stabilization and economic recovery after a decade-long crisis, with its economic growth reaching 3.5% in 2006. China also commends Central African Republic, as a land-locked and least developed country, for its unremitting efforts in implementing a macroeconomic stabilization and structural reform programme with the support of the international community. We sincerely hope that this programme would bear fruits at an earlier date to improve the budgetary situation, increase the domestic consumption and make further progress towards poverty reduction and further economic growth.
Mr. Chairman, China has enjoyed a close economic cooperation with Central African Republic. In the last few years, bilateral trade volume between China and Central African Republic witnessed a rapid increase in a mutually complementary and beneficiary mode. In 2006, two-way trade volume between us stood at $10.3 million, four times that of 2001.
Mr. Chairman, as a developing country itself, China fully understands the challenges faced by Central African Republic as a LDC in its economic and social development. We have spared no effort and shall continue to do so in intensifying our economic and trade relationship with Central African Republic. In the trade field China has commited itself to further expand duty-free and quota-free treatment to the exports from LDCs including Central African Republic within various bilateral frameworks such as the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation. China will also continue to do its utmost to expend its existing relationship with Central African Republic through direct investment, technical cooperation, infrastructure construction and debt alleviation which will broaden the prospects for the latter to overcome its supply-side constraints and strengthen its production and export capacity.
Mr. Chairman, the multilateral trading system owe much to the LDCs including Central African Republic in many areas such as aid for trade, TRIPs and public health, duty-free and quota-free market access and the substantial reduction by developed Members of trade-distorting domestic support for agriculture. China strongly encourages Members, especially the developed ones, to live up to their commitment and take concrete actions for deliveries on the development dimension of the Doha Round so that tangible and real benefits can be brought to developing Members, particularly the LDCs among them including Central African Republic.
To conclude my intervention, I wish this trade policy review of Central African Republic a success.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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