Wiley Rein's Alan Price Offers Congressional Testimony on China's WTO Record

International Trade chair Alan Price was interviewed by The Washington Times on the 10-year anniversary of China joining the World Trade Organization (WTO).  China's entry into the WTO was intended to help the emerging economic superpower become a better corporate citizen, but critics say those expectations have not been realized.

"China has engaged in a consistent pattern of avoiding, delaying and directly violating its WTO commitments," said Mr. Price at a congressional hearing earlier this week that reviewed China's WTO record.  "China's systematic failure to comply with its WTO obligations has adversely impacted the U.S. and global economies and undermines the legitimacy of the international rules-based trading system."

The article reported that while China has taken advantage of its WTO membership to expand exports, critics charge that the country has not opened its market to imported goods.

"While China has made some progress toward achieving some of its WTO commitments, many of its obligations remain unfulfilled and, in a number of respects, the Chinese government is moving further away from compliance," Mr. Price said.  "In fact, China is increasingly manipulating the WTO system, exploiting loopholes and working around existing rules-in violation of the spirit, if not the letter, of the WTO agreements."