¡¡¡¡4. Balance-of-Payments Measures

¡¡¡¡37. Some members of the Working Party stated that China should apply balance-of-payments ("BOPs") measures only under the circumstances provided for in the WTO Agreement and not as a justification for imposition of restrictions on imports for other protectionist purposes. Those members stated that measures taken for BOPs reasons should have the least trade disruptive effect possible and should be limited to temporary import surcharges, import deposit requirements or other equivalent price-based trade measures, and those measures should not be used to provide import protection for specific sectors, industries or products.

¡¡¡¡38. Those members of the Working Party further stated that any such measures should be notified pursuant to the Understanding on the Balance-of-Payments Provisions of the GATT 1994 ("BOPs Understanding") to the General Council not later than the imposition of the measures, together with a time schedule for their elimination and a programme of external and domestic policy measures to be used to restore BOPs equilibrium. Those members also stated that following deposit of such a notification, the Committee on Balance-of-Payments Restrictions ("BOPs Committee") should meet to examine the notification. It was noted that paragraph 4 of the BOPs Understanding would be available to China in the case of "essential products". Some members stated that the BOPs Committee should review the operation of any BOPs measures taken by China, if so requested by China or a WTO Member.

¡¡¡¡39. Some other members of the Working Party considered that, in respect of measures taken for BOP purposes, China should enjoy the same rights as those accorded to other developing country WTO Members, as provided in GATT Article XVIII:B and the BOPs Understanding.

¡¡¡¡40. In response, the representative of China stated that China considered that it should have the right to make full use of WTO BOPs provisions to protect, if necessary, its BOPs situation. He confirmed that China would fully comply with the provisions of the GATT 1994 and the BOPs Understanding. Further to such compliance, China would give preference to application of price-based measures as set forth in the BOPs Understanding. If China resorted to measures that were not price-based, it would transform such measures into price-based measures as soon as possible. Any measures taken would be maintained strictly in accordance with the GATT 1994 and the BOPs Understanding, and would not exceed what was necessary to address the particular BOPs situation. The representative of China also confirmed that measures taken for BOPs reasons would only be applied to control the general level of imports and not to protect specific sectors, industries or products, except as noted in paragraph 38. The Working Party took note of these commitments.

¡¡¡¡5. Investment Regime

¡¡¡¡41. The representative of China stated that since the inception of the reform and opening up policy in the late 1970's, China had carried out a series of reforms of its investment regime. The highly centralized investment administration under the planned economy had been progressively transformed into a new pattern of diversification of investors, multi-channelling of capital sources and diversification of investment modalities. The government encouraged foreign investment into the Chinese market and had uninterruptedly opened and expanded the scope for investment. At the same time, the Government of China also encouraged the development of the non-state-operated economy and was speeding up the opening of areas for non-state investment. With China's programme in the establishment of its market economy, the construction projects of various enterprises utilizing free capital and financed by the credit of the enterprise would be fully subject to the decision-making of the enterprise concerned and at their own risk. The commercial banks' credit activities to all kinds of investors would be based on their own evaluation and decision-making, and would be at their own risk. The business activities of intermediate investment agencies would be fully subject to the market and would provide service at the instruction of the investors. These agencies would break up their administrative relations with government agencies and the service activities financed by the government would also be subject to the terms and conditions agreed in the contracts concerned.

¡¡¡¡42. The representative of China further stated that China had promulgated investment guidelines and that the Government of China was in the process of revising and completing these guidelines. Responding to concerns raised by certain members of the Working Party, he confirmed that these investment guidelines and their implementation would be in full conformity with the WTO Agreement. The Working Party took note of this commitment.

¡¡¡¡6. State-Owned and State-Invested Enterprises

¡¡¡¡43. The representative of China stated that the state-owned enterprises of China basically operated in accordance with rules of market economy. The government would no longer directly administer the human, finance and material resources, and operational activities such as production, supply and marketing. The prices of commodities produced by state-owned enterprises were decided by the market and resources in operational areas were fundamentally allocated by the market. The state-owned banks had been commercialized and lending to state-owned enterprises took place exclusively under market conditions. China was furthering its reform of state-owned enterprises and establishing a modern enterprise system.

¡¡¡¡44. In light of the role that state-owned and state-invested enterprises played in China's economy, some members of the Working Party expressed concerns about the continuing governmental influence and guidance of the decisions and activities of such enterprises relating to the purchase and sale of goods and services. Such purchases and sales should be based solely on commercial considerations, without any governmental influence or application of discriminatory measures. In addition, those members indicated the need for China to clarify its understanding of the types of activities that would not come within the scope of Article III:8(a) of GATT 1994. For example, any measure relating to state-owned and state-invested enterprises importing materials and machinery used in the assembly of goods, which were then exported or otherwise made available for commercial sale or use or for non-governmental purposes, would not be considered to be a measure relating to government procurement.

¡¡¡¡45. The representative of China emphasized the evolving nature of China's economy and the significant role of FIEs and the private sector in the economy. Given the increasing need and desirability of competing with private enterprises in the market, decisions by state-owned and state-invested enterprises had to be based on commercial considerations as provided in the WTO Agreement.

¡¡¡¡46. The representative of China further confirmed that China would ensure that all state-owned and state-invested enterprises would make purchases and sales based solely on commercial considerations, e.g., price, quality, marketability and availability, and that the enterprises of other WTO Members would have an adequate opportunity to compete for sales to and purchases from these enterprises on non-discriminatory terms and conditions. In addition, the Government of China would not influence, directly or indirectly, commercial decisions on the part of state-owned or state-invested enterprises, including on the quantity, value or country of origin of any goods purchased or sold, except in a manner consistent with the WTO Agreement. The Working Party took note of these commitments.

¡¡¡¡47. The representative of China confirmed that, without prejudice to China's rights in future negotiations in the Government Procurement Agreement, all laws, regulations and measures relating to the procurement by state-owned and state-invested enterprises of goods and services for commercial sale, production of goods or supply of services for commercial sale, or for non-governmental purposes would not be considered to be laws, regulations and measures relating to government procurement. Thus, such purchases or sales would be subject to the provisions of Articles II, XVI and XVII of the GATS and Article III of the GATT 1994. The Working Party took note of this commitment.

¡¡¡¡48. Certain members of the Working Party expressed concern about laws, regulations and measures in China affecting the transfer of technology, in particular in the context of investment decisions. Moreover, these members expressed concern about measures conditioning the receipt of benefits, including investment approvals, upon technology transfer. In their view, the terms and conditions of technology transfer, particularly in the context of an investment, should be agreed between the parties to the investment without government interference. The government should not, for example, condition investment approval upon technology transfer.

¡¡¡¡49. The representative of China confirmed that China would only impose, apply or enforce laws, regulations or measures relating to the transfer of technology, production processes, or other proprietary knowledge to an individual or enterprise in its territory that were not inconsistent with the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights ("TRIPS Agreement") and the Agreement on Trade-Related Investment Measures ("TRIMs Agreement"). He confirmed that the terms and conditions of technology transfer, production processes or other proprietary knowledge, particularly in the context of an investment, would only require agreement between the parties to the investment. The Working Party took note of these commitments.

¡¡¡¡7. Pricing Policies

¡¡¡¡50. Some members of the Working Party noted that China had made extensive use of price controls, for example in the agricultural sector. Those members requested that China undertake specific commitments concerning its system of state pricing. In particular, those members stated that China should allow prices for traded goods and services in every sector to be determined by market forces, and multi-tier pricing practices for such goods and services should be eliminated. Those members noted, however, that China expected to maintain price controls on the goods and services listed in Annex 4 to the Draft Protocol, and stated that any such controls should be maintained in a manner consistent with the WTO Agreement, in particular Article III of the GATT 1994 and Annex 2, paragraphs 3 and 4, of the Agreement on Agriculture. Those members noted that except in exceptional circumstances, and subject to notification to the WTO Secretariat, price controls should not be extended to goods or services beyond those listed in Annex 4, and China should make its best efforts to reduce and eliminate those controls. They also asked that China publish in the appropriate official journal the list of goods and services subject to state pricing and changes thereto.

¡¡¡¡51. Some members of the Working Party expressed the view that price controls and state pricing in China also encompassed "guidance pricing" and regulation of the range of profits that enterprises could enjoy. Such policies and practices would also be subject to China's commitments. In their view, price controls should be adopted only in extraordinary circumstances and should be removed as soon as the circumstances justifying their adoption were addressed.

¡¡¡¡52. The representative of China said that China currently applied a mechanism of market-based pricing under macro-economic adjustment. He noted that national treatment was applied in the areas of government pricing for all imported goods. There were presently three types of prices: government price, government guidance price and market-regulated price. The government price was set by price administration authorities and could not be changed without the approval of these authorities. Products and services subject to government pricing were those having a direct bearing on the national economy and the basic needs of the people's livelihood, including those products that were scarce in China.

¡¡¡¡53. The representative of China stated that when government prices or government guidance prices needed to be adjusted or reset, the agencies or operators concerned should apply or propose to the competent pricing authorities for that purpose. There was not a fixed time frame for the adjustment of government prices or government guidance prices. Competent agencies or operators could, in the light of market changes and according to relevant provisions of the Price Law, submit applications or proposals to the competent pricing authorities for pricing or adjustment of the original prices. The government pricing authorities would, in the light of such factors as market demand and supply, operational costs, effect on consumers as well as the quality of services, determine specific prices for the services concerned, or set guidance prices and floating ranges within which operators could determine specific prices. When setting prices for public utilities, important public welfare services and goods subject to natural monopolies and services which were of vital interest to the general public, government pricing authorities would hold public hearings and invite consumers, operators and other concerned parties to comment and debate on the necessity and impact of a price adjustment. The prices of important services were subject to the approval of the State Council. This mechanism had helped to significantly improve the rationality and transparency of government pricing. All enterprises, regardless of their nature and ownership, were free to participate in such hearings and voice their opinions and concerns which would be taken into consideration by the competent pricing authorities. Meanwhile, government pricing was product- or service-specific, regardless of the ownership of the enterprises concerned. All the enterprises and individuals enjoyed the same treatment in terms of participating in the process of setting government prices and government guidance prices.

¡¡¡¡54. The representative of China added that the government guidance price mechanism was a more flexible form of pricing. The price administration authorities stipulated either a basic price or floating ranges. The floating range of guidance pricing was generally 5 per cent to 15 per cent. Enterprises could, within the limits of the guidance and taking into account the market situation, make their own decisions on prices. With market-regulated prices, enterprises were free to set prices in accordance with supply and demand to the extent permitted by generally applicable laws, regulations and policies concerning prices.

¡¡¡¡55. The representative of China stated that in formulating government prices and government guidance prices, the following criteria were taken into account: normal production costs, supply and demand situation, relevant government policies and prices of related products. When fixing prices of consumer goods, consideration was given to the limits of consumers' purchasing power. He noted that due to the continued reform of China's price system, the share of government prices had dropped substantially and that of market-regulated prices had increased; of social retailing products, the share of government prices was about 4 per cent, that of government guidance prices 1.2 per cent, and that of market-regulated prices 94.7 per cent. For agricultural products, the share of government prices was 9.1 per cent, government guidance prices 7.1 per cent, and market-regulated 83.3 per cent. For production inputs, the share of government prices was 9.6 per cent, that of government guidance prices 4.4 per cent, and market-regulated prices 86 per cent. The share of directly government-controlled prices had been much reduced. China's price system was becoming increasingly rationalized, creating a relatively fair marketplace for all enterprises to compete on an equal footing.

¡¡¡¡56. The representative of China recalled that Annex 4 of the Draft Protocol contained a comprehensive listing of all products and services presently subject to government guidance pricing and government pricing. He stated that the services subject to price controls were listed in Annex 4 by their respective CPC codes.

¡¡¡¡57. Some members of the Working Party requested additional information on the specific activities subject to government pricing or government guidance pricing. In particular, those members requested information on professional services, educational services, and charges for settlement clearing and transmission services of banks. In response, the representative of China stated that "The Administrative Rules on Intermediate Services" promulgated in 1999 by six central government agencies led by the State Development and Planning Commission ("SDPC") dealt with government pricing on intermediate services such as inspection authentication, notarization and arbitration and services which were in limited supply due to their special requirements. For legal services, the Interim Regulation on Charges and Fees of Legal Services, jointly promulgated by the SDPC and the Ministry of Justice stipulated that for law firms practising Chinese law, charges and fees for the following activities were subject to the approval of the SDPC: (1) representing a client in a civil case, including an appeal; (2) representing a client in a case contesting an administrative agency's decision; (3) providing legal advice to criminal suspects, acting for a client in connection with an appeal or prosecution, applying for bail, representing a defendant or victim in a criminal case; and (4) representing a client in an arbitration. For foreign legal service providers engaged in activities such as those listed in China's GATS schedule, the foreign legal service providers would determine the appropriate charges and fees which would not be subject to government pricing or guidance pricing.

¡¡¡¡58. The representative of China noted that regulations also existed for the other services included in Annex 4. Government pricing and guidance pricing covered auditing services. For architectural services, advisory and pre-design architectural services and contract administration activities were subject to government pricing or government guidance pricing. For engineering services, advisory and consultative services, engineering design services for the construction of foundations and building structures, design services for mechanical and electrical installations for buildings, construction of civil engineering works, and industrial processes and production were subject to government pricing or government guidance pricing. Primary, secondary and higher education services were subject to government pricing.

¡¡¡¡59. The representative of China further explained that charges for settlement, clearing and transmission services of banks referred to in Annex 4 related to the charges and fees collected by banks for the services provided to enterprises and individuals when the banks conducted currency payments and transmission and fund settlements by using clearance methods such as bills and notes, collections and acceptances. These mainly included commission charges of bills, cashier's cheques, cheques, remittances, entrusted collections of payment, and collections and acceptances of banks.

¡¡¡¡60. The representative of China confirmed that it would publish in the official journal the list of goods and services subject to state pricing and changes thereto, together with price-setting mechanisms and policies. The Working Party took note of these commitments.

¡¡¡¡61. The representative of China confirmed that the official journal providing price information was the Pricing Monthly of the People's Republic of China, published in Beijing. It was a monthly magazine listing all products and services priced by the State. He further stated that China would continue to further its price reform, adjusting the catalogue subject to state pricing and further liberalize its pricing policies.

¡¡¡¡62. The representative of China further confirmed that price controls would not be used for purposes of affording protection to domestic industries or services providers. The Working Party took note of this commitment.

¡¡¡¡63. Some members of the Working Party expressed a concern that China could maintain prices below market-based ones in order to limit imports.

¡¡¡¡64. In response, the representative of China confirmed that China would apply its current price controls and any other price controls upon accession in a WTO-consistent fashion, and would take account of the interests of exporting WTO Members as provided for in Article III:9 of the GATT 1994. He also confirmed that price controls would not have the effect of limiting or otherwise impairing China's market-access commitments on goods and services. The Working Party took note of these commitments.

¡¡¡¡8. Competition Policy

¡¡¡¡65. The representative of China noted that the Government of China encouraged fair competition and was against acts of unfair competition of all kinds. The Law of the People's Republic of China on Combating Unfair Competition, promulgated on 2 September 1993 and implemented on 1 December 1993, was the basic law to maintain the order of competition in the market. In addition, the Price Law, the Law on Tendering and Bidding, the Criminal Law and other relevant laws also contained provisions on anti-monopoly and unfair competition. China was now formulating the Law on Anti-Monopoly.