United Nations

 NEW YORK, 20 September (UN Headquarters) -- The following statement was issued today by the Office of the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General welcomes the United States Senate’s passage of the bill establishing permanent normal trade relations with China.  This is an important step towards China’s ultimate membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and thus, towards a fuller integration of countries into the rule-based multilateral trading system.  

Trade is an important engine for growth and development.  To serve development, the trading system needs to be open, equitable, secure, non-discriminatory and predictable. 

The Secretary-General stresses the importance of greater universality of the international trading system and welcomes all measures that will assist the full integration of those countries seeking accession into that system.