It is, rather, drawing them into the fold. China was one of the original members of GATT, the precursor of WTO, but, predictably, quit in 1949.
Isolationism is now, however, no longer an option.
The bid to join the WTO should be viewed as the Chinese leadership's deepest commitment to economic reform and the open market system in 20 years. Only this time, it will be refereed by outsiders. The plain fact is that China has reached the stage where the economy cannot be sustained without repeated infusions of foreign investment, technology and expertise. It comes at a time when foreign investment, which once resembled almost a gold rush, is actually now seen to be faltering. The picture, however can be confusing.