ACCESSIONS
China
This page gathers key information on China's negotiations to join the WTO. China became the 143rd WTO Member on 11 December 2001.
News
WTO accession process in brief
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China's Timeline
I. Overview | |||||||
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GATT application received | 10/07/1986 | L/6017 | |||||
GATT Accession Working Party established | 04/03/1987 | C/M/207 | |||||
GATT terms of reference & accession Working Party membership | 19/06/1987 | L/6191 + ( Rev.1, Rev.2, Rev.3, Rev.4, Rev.5, Rev.6, Rev.7) | |||||
WTO application received & WTO accession Working Party established | 07/12/1995 |
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Terms of reference & accession Working Party membership | 02/04/1996 | WT/ACC/CHN/2 + ( revisions & corrigendum) | |||||
Chairperson of the Accession Working Party | |||||||
Acting Chairperson | 11/2000 - 01/2001 | Mr Paul-Henri Ravier (Deputy Director-General of the WTO) | |||||
1st | 06/1987 - 09/2000 | Ambassador Pierre-Louis GIRARD (Switzerland) | |||||
Formal Meetings of the Working Party | Convening notice/fax | Statement(s) by the Head of the Delegation | Statement(s) by Working Party members | Delegation list | Other documents for the meeting | News item | |
Under the GATT: | |||||||
04/03/1987 | GATT/AIR/2392 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Meeting | 22/10/1987 | GATT/AIR/2479 | — | — | — | — | — |
Meeting | 23-24/02/1988 | GATT/AIR/2551 | — | — | List | — | — |
Meeting | 26-27/04/1988 | GATT/AIR/2572 | — | — | — | — | — |
Meeting | 28-29/06/1988 | GATT/AIR/2612 | — | — | List | — | — |
Meeting | 27-28/09/1988 | GATT/AIR/2641 | — | — | — | — | — |
Tariff Negotiations | 30/06/1988 | GATT/AIR/2642 | — | — | — | — | — |
Supplementary Information | 19/07/1988 | GATT/AIR/2644 | — | — | — | — | — |
Meeting | 28/02/1989-01/03/1989 | GATT/AIR/2731 | — | — | List | — | — |
Supplementary Information | 29/03/1989 | GATT/AIR/2745 | — | — | — | — | — |
Meeting | 18-19/04/1989 | GATT/AIR/2748 | — | — | — | — | — |
Meeting | 11-12/07/1989 | GATT/AIR/2792 ( + Revision) | — | — | — | — | — |
Meeting | 12-13/12/1989 | GATT/AIR/2879 | — | — | — | — | — |
Meeting | 20-21/09/1990 | GATT/AIR/3071 | — | — | — | — | — |
Meeting | 13-14/02/1992 | GATT/AIR/3277 | — | — | List | — | — |
Meeting | 21-22/10/1992 | GATT/AIR/3354 | — | — | List | — | — |
Meeting | 09-10/12/1992 | GATT/AIR/3379 | — | — | — | — | — |
Meeting | 15-16/03/1993 | GATT/AIR/3399 | — | — | List | — | — |
Meeting | 24-28/05/1993 | GATT/AIR/3427 | — | — | — | — | — |
Meeting | 28/09/1993-01/10/1993 | GATT/AIR/3486 | — | — | — | — | — |
Meeting | 15-18/03/1994 | GATT/AIR/3547 ( + Addendum | — | — | — | — | — |
Meeting | 28/06/1994-01/07/1994 | GATT/AIR/3604 | — | — | — | — | — |
Meeting | 29/07/1994 | GATT/AIR/3615 | — | — | — | — | — |
22/07/1994 | GATT/AIR/3617 | — | — | — | — | — | |
Meeting | 20/12/1994 | GATT/AIR/3666 | — | — | — | — | — |
Under the WTO: | |||||||
1st | 22/03/1996 | — | — | — | — | — | |
2nd | 01/11/1996 | — | — | — | — | — | |
3rd | 06/03/1997 | — | — | — | — | — | |
4th | 23/05/1997 | — | — | — | — | — | |
5th | 01/08/1997 | — | — | — | — | — | |
6th | 05/12/1997 | — | — | — | — | — | |
7th | 08/04/1998 | — | — | — | — | — | |
8th | 24/07/1998 | — | — | — | — | — | |
9th | 21/03/2000 | — | — | — | — | News archive | |
10th | 23/06/2000 | — | — | — | — | — | |
11th | 27/07/2000 | — | — | — | — | — | |
12th | 28/09/2000 | Statement | — | — | — | — | |
08/11/2000 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
13th | 09/11/2000 | Statement | — | — | — | — | |
14th | 08/12/2000 | Statement | — | — | — | — | |
15th | 17/01/2001 | — | — | — | — | — | |
16th | 04/07/2001 | Statement | — | — | — | News item | |
17th | 20/07/2001 | Statement | — | — | — | — | |
18th | 17/09/2001 | Statement | — | — | — | News item | |
Informal Meetings of the Working Party | Date of the meeting | Convening fax | Statement(s) by the Head of the Delegation | ||||
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Plurilateral Meetings | Date of the meeting | Convening fax | Statement(s) by the Head of the Delegation | ||||
— | — | — | II. Multilateral Negotiations | ||||
Memorandum on the Foreign Trade Regime (MFTR) (under the GATT) | 18/02/1987 | L/6125 | |||||
Under the GATT: | |||||||
Initial cycle(s) of Questions and Replies, following the circulation of the MFTR | 27/11/1987 | L/6270 | |||||
Factual Summary of Points Raised | 29/03/1988 | SPEC(88)13 | |||||
~updated | 09/12/1988 | SPEC(88)13/Add.4; SPEC(88)13/Add.4/Rev.1 | |||||
Initial cycle(s) of Questions and Replies, following the circulation of the Factual Summary | 03/06/1988 | SPEC(88)13/Add.1 | |||||
14/09/1988 | SPEC(88)13/Add.3 | ||||||
Additional Information on China's Foreign Trade Regime | 10/11/1989 | SPEC(88)13/Add.6 | |||||
15/10/1991 | SPEC(88)13/Add.8 (+ corrigendum) | ||||||
17/03/1992 | SPEC(88)13/Add.11 (+ corrigendum) | ||||||
07/09/1993 | SPEC(88)13/Add.13 | ||||||
Process continued under the WTO: | |||||||
Additional Questions & Replies | 13/07/1998 | WT/ACC/CHN/15 (+ corrigendum) | |||||
Updated MFTR & comprehensive list of China's laws and regulations | 21/03/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/17 (+ corrigendum) | |||||
Initial cycle(s) of Questions and Replies, following the circulation of the MFTR | — | — | |||||
Factual Summary of Points Raised | — | — | |||||
Elements of a Draft Report of the Working Party | — | — | |||||
Draft Report of the Working Party | 14/06/2000 | WT/ACC/SPEC/CHN/1 (+ revisions & corrigenda) | |||||
Additional Questions & Replies | 18/07/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/30 | |||||
Agriculture (WT/ACC/22/Add.1), including Questions and Replies | 07/06/1994 | SPEC(88)13/Add.17 | |||||
17/04/1996 | WT/SPEC/28 | ||||||
20/06/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/22 | ||||||
14/09/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/38 (+ revisions) | ||||||
SPS Checklist (WT/ACC/22/Add.2) | 19/06/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/21 | |||||
24/07/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/33 | ||||||
TBT Checklist (WT/ACC/22/Add.2) | 18/07/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/27 | |||||
TRIPS Questionnaire (WT/ACC/22/Add.2) | 18/07/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/29 | |||||
Import Licensing Procedures Questionnaire (WT/ACC/22 + revisions) | — | — | |||||
Customs Valuation Checklist (WT/ACC/22 + revisions) | — | — | |||||
State-Trading Questionnaire (WT/ACC/22 + revisions) | — | — | |||||
Draft Subsidies Notification (WT/ACC/22/Add.2) | — | — | |||||
Comprehensive Legislative Action Plan (LAP) | 22/09/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/39 | |||||
09/11/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/40 | ||||||
Rule-specific Action Plans | — | — | |||||
Legislation and implementing regulations | Click for details | Legislation notice | Notified legislation | ||||
18/05/1994 | SPEC(88)13/Add.15 |
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07/06/1994 | SPEC(88)13/Add.16 |
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04/03/1997 | WT/ACC/CHN/6 |
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22/09/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/39 |
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02/07/2001 | WT/ACC/CHN/43 |
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02/07/2001 | WT/ACC/CHN/45 | ||||||
03/07/2001 | WT/ACC/CHN/46 |
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Consultation documents | Click for details | Consultation notice | Notified consultation document | ||||
01/06/1988 | SPEC(88)29 |
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20/07/1988 | SPEC(88)13/Add.2 |
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09/06/1989 | SPEC(88)13/Add.5 | Annotated checklist of issues | |||||
22/01/1990 | L/6635 | Communication from the People's Republic of China | |||||
14/01/1991 | L/6807 | Admission of Macao as a contracting party | |||||
17/04/1991 | SPEC(88)13/Add.7 |
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19/07/1991 | MTN.GNS/W/124 |
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03/02/1992 | SPEC(88)13/Add.9 |
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06/02/1992 | SPEC(88)13/Add.10 |
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17/03/1992 | SPEC(88)13/Add.11 |
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30/04/1992 | SPEC(88)13/Add.11/Corr.1 |
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02/10/1992 | SPEC(88)13/Add.12 |
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12/03/1993 | SPEC(88)13/Add.12/Rev.1 |
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07/03/1993 | SPEC(88)13/Add.12/Rev.2 |
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06/04/1993 | MTN.GNS/W/124/Rev.1 |
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30/09/1993 | MTN.GNS/W/124/Rev.2 |
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26/11/1993 | MTN.GNS/W/124/Rev.3 |
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31/01/1994 | SPEC(88)13/Add.14 |
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18/05/1994 | SPEC(88)13/Add.15 |
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07/06/1994 | SPEC(88)13/Add.16 |
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07/06/1994 | SPEC(88)13/Add.17 |
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12/09/1994 | SPEC(88)13/Add.18 |
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18/10/1995 | SPEC(88)13/Add.19 |
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08/03/1996 | WT/SPEC/22 |
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29/03/1996 | WT/SPEC/23 |
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17/04/1996 | WT/SPEC/28 |
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18/04/1996 | WT/SPEC/29 | Communication from China | |||||
16/08/1996 | WT/ACC/CHN/3 | Communication from China | |||||
26/02/1997 | WT/ACC/CHN/5 (Part 1, Part 2) |
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04/03/1997 | WT/ACC/CHN/6 |
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06/05/1997 | WT/ACC/CHN/7 | Communication from the European Communities | |||||
23/05/1997 | WT/ACC/CHN/8 |
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23/07/1997 | WT/ACC/CHN/9 |
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31/07/1997 | WT/ACC/CHN/10 | Non-Tariff Measures subject to Phased Elimination | |||||
22/10/1997 | WT/ACC/CHN/11 | Customs Tariff of the People's Republic of China | |||||
02/12/1997 | WT/ACC/CHN/13 | Annex 7a - Products Subject to Import Statutory Inspection | |||||
02/04/1998 | WT/ACC/CHN/14 |
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06/04/1998 | WT/ACC/CHN/14/Corr.1 |
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13/07/1998 | WT/ACC/CHN/16 |
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06/06/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/18 |
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06/06/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/18/Add.1 |
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19/06/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/19 |
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20/06/2000 |
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16/06/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/20 |
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14/07/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/23 | Checklist of documents | |||||
18/07/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/24 | Annex 2a1 Products Subject to State Trading (Import) | |||||
18/07/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/25 | Annex 3 Non-Tariff Measures subject to Phased Elimination | |||||
18/07/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/26 | Annex 4 Products and Services Subject to Price Controls | |||||
18/07/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/26/Rev.1 | Annex 4 Products and Services Subject to Price Controls | |||||
18/07/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/28 | Information of State-Trading | |||||
18/07/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/31 | Annex 7a on Products Subject to Import Statutory Inspection | |||||
18/07/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/32 | Annex 7b on Products Subject to Export Statutory Inspection | |||||
24/07/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/26/Rev.2 | Annex 4 Products and Services Subject to Price Controls | |||||
14/09/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/34 | Annex 2a1 on Products Subject to State Trading (Import) | |||||
18/07/2001 | WT/ACC/CHN/34/Rev.1 | Annex 2a1 on Products Subject to State Trading (Import) | |||||
14/09/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/35 | Annex 2a2 on Products Subject to State Trading (Export) | |||||
14/09/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/36 | Annex 3 on Non-Tariff Measures Subject to Phased Elimination | |||||
18/07/2001 | WT/ACC/CHN/36/Rev.1 | Annex 3 on Non-Tariff Measures Subject to Phased Elimination1 | |||||
20/07/2001 | WT/ACC/CHN/36/Rev.2 | Annex 3 on Non-Tariff Measures Subject to Phased Elimination | |||||
14/09/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/37 | Information on State Trading | |||||
20/12/2000 | WT/ACC/CHN/41 | Annex 2a2 on Products Subject to State Trading (Export) | |||||
18/07/2001 | WT/ACC/CHN/41/Rev.1 | Annex 2a2 on Products Subject to State Trading (Export) | |||||
18/06/2001 | WT/ACC/CHN/42 | Annex 8 (Revised) to the Draft Protocol on the Accession of China | |||||
02/07/2001 | WT/ACC/CHN/44 | Action Plan for the Implementation of the SPS Agreement in China | |||||
18/07/2001 | WT/ACC/CHN/47 | Annex 2b - Products Subject to Designated Trading | |||||
18/07/2001 | WT/ACC/CHN/48 | Annex 6 - Products Subject to Export Duty | |||||
31/07/2001 | WT/ACC/CHN/23/Rev.1 | Checklist of Documents | III. Bilateral Market Access Negotiations | ||||
Goods Offer(s) | 20/09/2000 | WT/ACC/SPEC/CHN/2 (+ corrigendum) | |||||
~updated | 26/06/2001 | WT/ACC/SPEC/CHN/4 | |||||
Services Offer(s) | 21/12/2000 | WT/ACC/SPEC/CHN/3 | |||||
Register of Bilateral Market Access Agreements | |||||||
Draft Goods Schedule | 31/07/2001 | WT/ACC/SPEC/CHN/1/Rev.8/Add.1 (+ revision & corrigendum) | |||||
Draft Services Schedule | 04/12/1996 | WT/ACC/CHN/4 | |||||
20/11/1997 | WT/ACC/CHN/12 | ||||||
31/07/2001 | WT/ACC/SPEC/CHN/1/Rev.8/Add.2 (+ revision & corrigendum) | ||||||
Goods and Services Technical Verification Meetings | — | — | IV. Summary of Final Meeting of the Working Party | ||||
— | — | V. Accession Package (Terms of Accession, de-restricted) | |||||
Ministerial Conference/General Council Decision on the Accession | 10/11/2001 | WT/L/432 | News item | ||||
Protocol of Accession | 10/11/2001 | WT/L/432 | |||||
Report of the Working Party | 01/10/2001 | WT/ACC/CHN/49 (+ corrigendum) | |||||
10/11/2001 |
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Goods Schedule (Schedule of Concessions and Commitments Annexed to the GATT 1994) | 01/10/2001 | WT/ACC/CHN/49/Add.1 | |||||
10/11/2001 |
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Services Schedule (Schedule of Specific Commitments Annexed to the GATS) | 01/10/2001 | WT/ACC/CHN/49/Add.2 | |||||
10/11/2001 |
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VI. Accessions Commitments Database (ACDB) | |||||
Specific Accession Commitments | http://acdb.wto.org/ click on “Report by Member”, select “China” in drop down list then click on “View Report” | VII. Instrument of Acceptance | |||||
Notification of Acceptance and Entry Into Force of the Protocol of Accession | 11/11/2001 | WT/LET/408 | VIII. Date of Membership | ||||
11/12/2001 | 143rd Member | IX. Since 1995, this is the | |||||
15th economy that joined the WTO pursuant to Article XII of the Marrakesh Agreement. |
Note:
The de-restriction of documents is a key component of the transparency obligations of the Multilateral Trading System. Paragraphs 1 and 2(e) of the Ministerial Council Decision WT/L/452 of 14 May 2002 provide that “documents relating to working parties on accession shall be restricted and shall be automatically de-restricted upon the adoption of the report of the working party” by the Ministerial Conference/General Council. The time of completion of the de-restriction process depends on the amount and complexities of the documents involved. Prior to 2002, the de-restriction of accession-related documents was governed by a different set of rules (i.e. General Council Decision WT/L/160/Rev.1 of 26 July 1996), which only affect documents circulated prior to 2002.