Official Says China Still Wants To Join WTO

Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji told key Western nations that his country's recent leadership reshuffle and domestic economic reform efforts have not weakened its desire to join the World Trade Organization, the major international body supervising global trade in products and services. The Chinese official told leaders of the 15-nation European Union in London recently that his country will move ahead with tariff cuts and open up its markets. However, Zhu refused to set a timetable for economic liberalization.