Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

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# 91997E1769

**WRITTEN QUESTION No. 1769/97 by Iñigo MÉNDEZ DE VIGO to the Commission. Barriers to trade with China** 
  
*Official Journal C 391 , 23/12/1997 P. 0129*

  

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1769/97 by Iñigo Méndez de Vigo (PPE) to the Commission (27 May 1997)

Subject: Barriers to trade with China

Once again, European companies have protested against the barriers imposed by the Chinese authorities - high customs tariffs, quantitative restrictions, illegal exploitation of intellectual property, etc. - which continue to hinder trade with China.

What action is the Commission to take in response to this state of affairs?

Answer given by Sir Leon Brittan on behalf of the Commission (17 June 1997)

The People's Republic of China continues to be an attractive market for Community entrepreneurs and investors, but one which often proves difficult to penetrate.

The Commission supports China's goal of integrating its economy into the open multilateral trading system backed by the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Pending the successful conclusion of negotiations, however, the Commission routinely uses its bilateral dialogue with the Chinese authorities to raise any problems relating to access to Chinese markets.

The Commission intends to continue with this twin-track approach, which has led in recent months to solid if insufficient progress on opening up Chinese markets to European entrepreneurs and investors. Recent meetings to negotiate Chinese membership of the WTO, in particular, have held out the prospect of some progress on lowering tariff barriers, abolishing quotas, liberalising licensing requirements for service industries setting up in China and more effective measures to protect intellectual property. The Community expects China to make good its undertakings on liberalisation in the months to come.

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