On November 15, 1999 (early October 8 of the Lunar calendar), China and the United States signed a bilateral agreement on China's "entry into the world".

President Jiang Zemin meets with U.S. Trade Representative Balchevsky (right) and U.S. Economic Commission Chairman Spurling (central) in the South China Sea in Beijing

On November 15, 1999, Ministry of Foreign Economy and Trade Shengzen and U.S. Trade Representative Balchevsky signed a bilateral agreement on behalf of the two Chinese and U.S. governments in Beijing on China's accession to the World Trade Organization, which marked the formal conclusion of China's bilateral negotiations on China's accession to the world's largest trade organization, thus making an important step for China to "enter the world".

From November 10 to 15, Xi Jinping led the Chinese government delegation with the U.S. Trade Representative Balchevsky and the U.S. National Economic Commission Chairman Spurling in Beijing for six days and nights of serious negotiations. This negotiation was highly appreciated by the two governments and the top leaders of the two countries. During the negotiations, the two sides worked in the spirit of mutual understanding and equal consultation, working on the "win-win" principle, and ultimately achieved satisfactory results.

Xi Jinping said that the signing of the bilateral agreement between China and the United States is in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries, is conducive to the improvement and development of China-US relations, is conducive to China's early accession to the WTO, will also have an important and positive impact on the development of world trade, and we look forward to solving the problem of China's "entry" in the year.

Balchevsky and Sperlin said today's agreement will bring China-US relations into a new era, benefiting the economy of the two countries, and will promote the healthy development of the world economy.

China and WTO 13 Years of Partnership

China has been trying to join the World Trade Organization as a developing country for 13 years, but has been in conflict with the United States and the European Union, because the latter demanded a greater degree of open market. In July 1986 ¨C China demanded re-engagement in the General Agreement on Customs and Trade (WTO in 1995) ¨C China was one of the founders of the General Agreement on Customs and Trade in 1947 and the Communist Party resumed talks in December 1987. ¨C In October 1987, a working group ordered to review China¡¯s candidate status before January 1, 1995 ¨C held its first meeting at the headquarters of the General Agreement on Customs and Trade in Geneva. ¨C In June 1989, China interrupted talks after the Tiananmen events, fearing that China would not adhere to the World Trade Organization. ¨C In July

July 1999 ¨C Japan agreed to accept the conditions of Beijing¡¯s accession to the World Trade Organization during the visit of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to China.

September 1999 - U.S.-China talks resumed after China's President Jiang Zemin and U.S. President Clinton's New Zealand summit.

November 1999 ¨C U.S. Trade Representative Balchevsky makes a visit to Beijing as a ¡°last chance.¡±

After the agreement was signed, Sperlin kissed Balchevsky and congratulated him on the success of the negotiations. [lssdjt.com in history today]

Bilateral agreement on China's accession to the World Trade Organization signed in Beijing

Following the signing of the agreement, Balchevsky and Khrushchev exchanged texts.