Taiwan hopes to be in WTO

Taiwan hopes to be in WTO

TAIPEI (AP): Taiwan said Friday it expects to be admitted to the World Trade Organization by November, possibly at about the same time as China.

After completing a crucial round of multilateral talks in Geneva on Thursday, Taiwan now expects the WTO to hold the final round of talks to complete the island's application in July, setting the stage for its formal admission in November, said Economic Minister Wang Chih-kang.

The WTO General Council is expected to adopt the applications from both Taiwan and China in September because most members support Beijing's position that it be admitted before Taiwan, the United Daily News quoted Wang as telling Premier Vincent Siew.

China claims sovereignty over Taiwan, but agrees to the island's admission to the WTO, a body that sets international trade rules, as long as it enters as a "customs territory" rather than a sovereign country.