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WTO changes daily life for
Chinese
BEIJING - China's vast
population failed to notice any great impact on their
lives when China joined the World Trade Organization on
December 11, 2001, but one year on, things have changed
remarkably.
On January 1, China reduced import
tariffs from an average 15.3 percent to 12 percent. Of
more than 5,000 varieties of products imported into
China, automobiles are the most sought after. The import
tariff on automobiles with a discharge volume below
three liters fell from 70 percent to 43.8 percent,
making possible the dream of many would-be car owners.
The hot weather and the World Cup soccer
championships failed to deter more than 400,000 people
from going to an international auto exhibition in
Beijing in June. Car sales in China hit a record high
every month and over 65 percent are sold to private
buyers. The Chinese people have found more imported
products in their lives.
Fancy limousines,
Indonesian fruits, French perfumes and Italian shoes are
now sold at lower prices than before. Not only goods but
also services provided by overseas firms are adding
color to everyday life.
After WTO entry,
foreign-funded banks and insurance companies began to
swarm into the country. Beijing people have been
enjoying financial services offered by overseas firms.
In the future, the Chinese will have more choice in
tourism, air transport, legal services and advertising.
The Chinese know they are more closely linked to
the global economy. Families with cars show concern
about crises in the Middle East that affect gasoline
prices here.
WTO accession requires changes in
governmental operations, which means more efficient work
up to international standards by civil servants. The
year saw thousands of laws and regulations amended and
tens of thousands of officials receiving WTO-related
training. "Now it's much faster to get a restaurant
license from the government," said a man surnamed Zhang
in Shanghai.
The improvement in governmental
work benefits both foreign business people and common
Chinese.
People of all ages are learning foreign
languages. Statistics show at least 300,000 Chinese
attended all types of foreign language courses in
Beijing this year, each spending about 1,000 yuan
(US$120). More college graduates now prefer to work in
foreign-funded companies or domestic private sectors.
Traditionally government organizations and state-owned
enterprises were the first choices of most job seekers.
The Chinese this year felt more pressure than
before, not only because overseas products and services
brought challenges to local companies, but some Chinese
exports with comparative advantages were frequently
blocked by quarantine standards, safeguard measures and
anti-dumping investigations. International trade
disputes involving China's steel products, cigarette
lighters and vegetables were often headlines in Chinese
newspapers.
Yet the Chinese still see stability
among the changes. Not a single industry has been ruined
by international competition, nor have the prices of any
imports rocketed. "Everything looks the same, but
everything is changing," said a student at Beijing
University. "This reflects China's implementation of WTO
promises as well as its gradual opening-up policy."
(Asia Pulse/XIC)
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