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it was a basic national policy to revitalise the domestic ecunomy and to open to the outside world, which was an important part of the overall economic restructuring. China was an economy in transition from central planning to a mixture of planned and market elements. The Chinese told Dunkel that they expected trade with GATT contracting parties to increase once China had resumed membership and had illustrated this with statistical forecasts showing not only increased Chinese exports but also increased Chinese imports, from those countries. MOFERT had asked the industrial and agricultural units visited by Dunkel to explain the general situation in their units and details of their particular policies and practices.
Dunkel had said that the question of China's resumption of membership required negotiations with the contracting parties, although as Director-General he was only able to represent their views in certain respects. He enquired what kind of obligations China was ready to undertake. The Chinese responded that they were actively engaged in preparing to resume membership of thestantive They were ready at the appropriate moment to enter into/?
"discussions with the contracting parties on the basis of tariff concessions. They expected treatment equivalent to that granted to other developing countries. China was one of the original contracting parties. The Chinese People's Government was the sole legitimate government of China. Since the establishment of "New China", due to specific historical reasons the relations between the GATT and China had long been suspended. The Chinese maintained therefore that China should resume its membership while being ready to enter into substantive negotiations on tariffs, etc. There had been great changes both in China and the GATT over the last thirty years. The Chinese considered that an appropriate solution to the question of rights and obligations was "mutual non-retroaction".
Summing up, Wang said that Dunkel's visit had been helpful in increasing mutual understanding and in facilitating the work on China's resumption of membership. He hoped that the EEC countries could give their support and cooperation in China's application.
In answer to questions by EEC representatives present Wang said that, on time scale, the Chinese were now actively preparing their position and hoped to be able to submit their application at an appropriate time this year.
He welcomed contact with EEC members and other contracting parties and was willing to have meetings at any time
As to formally or informally on any questions we would like to put. the new GATT round, the Chinese hoped that they could participate in this. They recognised however that the issue of resuming their membership of GATT was highly relevant and that China's participation in the new round would need consultation with various countries. Wang added that Zhao Ziyang had told Dunkel that China's policies on prices, tariffs, etc were changing and that the effect would be to narrow the differences with other contracting parties. Dunkel had responded that China's economy was unique, quite unlike any other
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