November 14, 1996
To: Tibet Support Groups
Fm: Thinley Norbu
TSG Liaison Officer
Sub: World Trade Organisation
Dear friends,
Please find below legislation by Mr. Richard A. Gephadt, that would condition the United States support for China's accession to the WTO on prior Congressional approval.
Such efforts are being made in the United States Congress regarding China's accession to the WTO. As it is one of the action plans emitted from the 2nd international TSG meeting, you are requested to initiate such lobby efforts in your parliaments.
With regards. I reproduce below the `Draft: WTO Legislation'
DRAFT: WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION LEGISLATION
China's Accession to the World Trade Organisation
FINDINGS:
It is the stated policy of the United States Government to support China's entry into the World Trade Organisation under acceptable terms. The US is a member of the Working Party negotiating China's accession to the and is also a voting member to the WTO.
It is also the stated policy of the United States Government to promote human rights improvements in China and Tibet. This strategy has included providing support for legal reform in China, intensifying high-level dialogue on human rights, addressing the situation in Tibet by promoting substantive negotiations between His Holines the Dalai Lama and the Chinese Government, and increasing US efforts tp promote positive change in China by working with our governments in multilateral fora. It is appropriate to address these concerns as the Congress considers the terms under which the US should agree to China's accession to the World Trade Organisation.
CERTIFICATION:
The President shall certify to the house and Senate (International Relations Committee and Ways and Means Committee; the Foreign Relations Committee and Finance Committee) that the government of China has taken specific steps towards economic liberalisation and to comply with its intenational human rights obligations before the United States can agree to China's membership in the World Trade Organisation. The President shall describe, in his report to Congress, what steps have been taken to more fullyintegrate China into the international community and how the government of China has demonstrated its willingness to abide by basic global standards of behavior.
A) Verifiable steps to liberalise trade and investment rules have been adopted and implemented, including the following:
1. Tariffs have been reduced in compliances with US and European Union requests, taxes are being evenly and not selectively applied, and the practice of imposing taxes as surcharges on tariffs has ended.
2. Import controls and quotas have been eliminated, especially on agricultural goods, and import controls and quotas are being phased out on industrial products.
3. Fixed prices and price ceilings are not being applied so as no discriminate against imports, and farm and industrial subsidies are being phased out.
4. Unfair trading practices have ended, such as the exportation of goods produced by prison labour to the US.
5. Intellecual property rights are being fully protected, with adequate measures for enforcement including stringent border controls to stop the shipment inti China of any goods that violate intellectual property and copyrights, the closing of factories producing such goods, and the imposition of criminal penalties and prosecutions.
B) Verifiables steps to improve internationally-guaranted human rights and worker rights have been adopted and implemented, including the following.
1. Agreement has been reached with international humanitarian organisations allowing them regular, confidentialaccess to prisoners in China ans Tibet.
2. International Labor Organisation (ILO) Convention 105 on the Abolition of Forced Labor has been signed and ratified.
3. Significant legal reforms have been made such as repeal of the 1993 State Security Law and implementing regulations, abolition of all forms of arbitrary and administrative detention, and repeal of the laws on crimes of "counterrevolution."
4. Political and religious prisoners, detained in violation of international norms, have been released.
5. International human rights monitors are being allowed unhindered access to Tibet.
CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL:
The President shall not agree to China's membership in the World Trade Organisation until and unless both houses of Congress, upon receipt of the President's report, vote to approve such membership.
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Department of Information and International Relations
Central Tibetan Administration, Dharamsala
Please sent reply to:
diir@dsala.tibetnet.ernet.in
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