(28 Mar 2000) English/Nat

China's bid for acceptance into the World Trade Organisation may move closer to fruition this week.

The European Union, which will play a key role in determining China's future with the W-T-O, is about to resume the last stage in its negotiations with China in Beijing.

Meanwhile, the United States' continued trade negotiations with Beijing have also been bearing fruit - citrus fruits to be exact.

On Tuesday, China officially welcomed its first taste of American oranges in 20 years, after the lifting of a ban on imports.

With trade barriers to imports of citrus fruits lifted, shoppers in China are now getting their first taste of United States oranges.

Citrus had long been banned here because of worries over plant diseases.

But Tuesday's shipment was made possible by a farm trade agreement reached last year.

Zhang Yunsheng and his wife, shoppers at a Beijing supermarket, were among the first to give the fruits a taste test.

SOUNDBITE: (Mandarin)
"I can buy it now but I can't buy a lot (he laughs) because now our income is increasing and we can buy more expensive things."
SUPER CAPTION: Zhang Yunsheng, Shopper

U-S growers from states including Florida and California hope the world's most populous nation will show as much enthusiasm for citrus fruits as it already has for American fast food.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Bob Crawford was among those in Beijing to declare the market open for business, after 20 years of lobbying.

U-S officials hope the deal on citrus fruit will go a long way towards persuading Congress to grant Beijing permanent normal trade relations, or P-N-T-R.

That status that would guarantee Chinese goods low-tariff access to U-S markets.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"The P-N-T-R is important because it will allow China into the World Trade Organization. Tariffs will come down both on out side and the Chinese side which means our customers, the people, will have products that cost less money. But from the citrus standpoint we think that by lowering the tariffs and allowing citrus in here, which China had done, it will be great for both countries."
SUPER CAPTION: Florida Agriculture Commissioner Bod Crawford

U-S growers still face a challenge in finding importers to buy and distribute their products here.

The current tariff of 40 percent will keep prices high, possibly too high for most Chinese consumers.

China has agreed to slash tariffs on many farm products under a broad trade agreement reached in November with the U-S, a condition for China's entry into the World Trade Organisation.

The W-T-O sets rules for international trade and China has been trying for fourteen years to join the free-trade club.

But despite U-S backing, China's entry still depends on cutting deals with eight W-T-O members, the most crucial of which is the 15-member European Union.

E-U Trade Commissioner, Pascal Lamy, - the man who holds one of the keys to China's entry into the W-T-O - arrived in Beijing on Tuesday to hold what is hoped to be the final series of negotiations.

Lamy sounded optimistic about the outcome.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I'm coming in a constructive mood but as we all know, it's a negotiation."
SUPER CAPTION: Pascal Lamy, E-U Trade Commissioner

Both parties say they hope these will be the final negotiations on an agreement for Beijing's entry into the W-T-O.

Previous talks in February failed to yield a breakthrough.

Chinese officials said then a deal was "very close" but wouldn't elaborate on outstanding issues.





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