[In the News]:World Trade Organization


This is Steve Emberwith the VOA Special English Program IN THE NEWS.

Earlier this week, the European Union and China agreed on someimportant trade issues. China reached a similar agreement with theUnited States last week. These agreements have cleared the way forChina to join the World Trade Organization. The process of admittingChina is expected to begin at a W-T-O meeting Thursday in Geneva.

One-hundred-forty-one nations are W-T-O members now. Thesecountries are responsible for more than ninety percent of theworld's trade. The main goal of the W-T-O is to keep world tradeflowing as smoothly and freely as possible.

The World Trade Organization was established inNineteen-Ninety-Five. It developed out of the General Agreement onTariffs and Trade or GATT. GATT was created in Nineteen-Forty-Eightafter the end of World War Two. It led to a series of internationaltrade negotiations which established a world trading system. TheW-T-O supervises and makes improvements to that system.

The W-T-O organizes trade negotiations and settles tradedisputes. It supervises trade agreements reached by member nations.It also provides developing countries with technical assistance andtraining programs in trade issues. And, it cooperates with otherinternational organizations.

The top decision-making group of the W-T-O is the MinisterialConference. It meets at least once every two years in differentcities around the world. W-T-O members reach agreements by debateand compromise. W-T-O agreements then go to the governments of eachcountry for approval or rejection.

At first the trade agreements among the countries dealt mainlywith goods. GATT was designed to lower import taxes and remove otherbarriers to trade in goods. However, W-T-O members later agreed ontrade rules for the service industry. This industry includes banks,communications companies, hotels and transport businesses.

The W-T-O also supervises an agreement on what is calledintellectual property. That agreement provides rules to protecttrade and investment in ideas and creative activities.

The W-T-O says its agreements permit buyers and producers morechoices in the materials and services that they use. Theorganization also says exporters can feel secure about the opennessof foreign markets. The W-T-O says the result is a world economythat is stronger and more cooperative.

However, not everyone approves of the work of World TradeOrganization. In the last few years, there have been majordemonstrations at meetings of the W-T-O, World Bank and othersimilar organizations. Some of the protests have been violent.

The protestors oppose opening world markets to increased trade.They say the W-T-O and its allies are making industrial nations richby keeping developing nations poor.

This VOA Special English program IN THE NEWS was written by CatyWeaver. This is Steve Ember.

品牌培训机构展示

该专题下最近更新的节目

专题广播资料索引