WTO chief: Onus is not on Beijing alone

The World Trade Organization chief said on Friday that terms of the Accession Protocol of China's entry into the WTO must apply to all members equally, while China urges EU to fulfill WTO obligations and stop launching unfair anti-dumping investigations.

"Clearly, the situation is ruled by the Protocol of Accession of China to the WTO" and the terms are not for negotiation, WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo told a joint news conference after meeting with Premier Li Keqiang and other international organization chiefs.

Earlier this month, Li reiterated China's stance to call on the EU to follow Article 15 of the protocol, which says all WTO members should stop following subrogate country measures in anti-dumping cases against China by Dec 11.

Under such measures, importing countries can define the value of exports from an exporting country by the production costs of a third country when assessing whether the exporter's pricing constitutes dumping.

Li said China has been dedicated to its commitments since joining the WTO. "China will continue marketization reform, and we are demanding that the EU and other countries fulfill Article 15 of the accession protocol of China into the WTO in 2001."

During the news conference, the premier called on all countries and organizations to insist on globalization and multilateral trade mechanisms, fight against trade protectionism and be cautious about adopting restrictive measures.

Azevedo's stance suggested that the WTO recognizes China's commitment since its entry into the framework, but trade protectionism is on a rise in Europe now, said Zhao Junjie, a researcher of European studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

"Promises should be kept by the EU and other WTO members. Trade frictions should be resolved through negotiations," Zhao said.

huyongqi@chinadaily.com.cn