CRI听力:China Marks 10th Anniversary of WTO Accession

President Hu Jintao has praised China's WTO accession a decade ago as a major event in the country's reform and opening-up process.

He says China will continue to play a constructive role in the global economic community and focus on expanding imports with an ultimate aim of achieving a balanced trade and total imports exceeding 8 trillion U.S. dollars over the next five years.

"China will further promote the balanced development of international trade. We will work to join efforts to expand imports and stabilize exports. We will view the expansion of imports as an important way to change the development model of foreign trade. We will work hard to promote a balanced international balance of payments."

China also pledges to build a fair, stable and transparent investment environment for domestic and overseas businesses, reduce government intervention in microeconomic activities, and enhance the protection of intellectual property rights.

Hu Jintao has also called for an early recognition of China's full-market economy status to lift restrictions on high-end product exports to the country.

"We also hope that relevant countries can recognize China's full market economy status as soon as possible, relax controls on high-tech product exports to China, and make it easier for Chinese companies' outward investment to create conditions for the development of balanced bilateral trade."

In the meantime, WTO Director-general Pascal Lamy has hailed the positive role that the WTO has played in helping to protect China from trade protectionism.

"The WTO has so far protected China against high-intensity protectionism during the crisis. Now looking into the future, as a key member of the WTO family, China's role and influence will be vital in our collective endeavor to advance trade opening and global trade regulation."

China became the WTO's 143rd member in December 2001. Since then, the country has lowered its general tariff rates on imports to 9.8 percent from 15.3 percent. It has also grown to become the world's second-largest economy, largest commodity exporter, and second-largest commodity importer - all of which have helped lift millions of Chinese out of poverty.

For CRI, this is Wei Tong.