ASEAN Secretariat, Jakarta, 16 Nov. - Rodolfo C. Severino, Jr., Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, welcomes the successful conclusion of trade negotiations between the United States and China, which could pave the way for the latter's admission into the World Trade Organization.

U.S. Trade Representative Charlene Barshefsky and China's Foreign Trade Minister Shi Guangsheng signed an agreement on Monday that would allow increased foreign ownership in certain sectors of the Chinese economy and the general reduction in China's import tariffs to 17 percent from the current average of 22.1 percent.

The Secretary-General recalled that as early as December 1997, the ASEAN Heads of Government had already issued a joint statement in Kuala Lumpur expressing support for the early entry of China into the WTO. In the same statement, ASEAN called for the admission of ASEAN applicants to the world body, namely Cambodia, Laos and Viet Nam. Severino said that "this would not only complete ASEAN's participation in the organization but also move it closer to the universality of the body, which we all desire."

The World Trade Organization is scheduled to hold the Third Ministerial Conference in Seattle from 30 November to 3 December this year to discuss the next round of multilateral trade negotiations. The WTO is the international organization dealing with the global rules of trade among nations.

Speaking at the East Asia Economic Summit of the World Economic Forum in Singapore last October, Severino said that ASEAN welcomes, in principle, the further liberalization of world trade, especially at this time of Southeast Asia's incipient economic recovery. He predicted that ASEAN would benefit particularly from a significant liberalization of world trade in food and agricultural products, the freer movement of persons, and the lowering of tariffs on labor-intensive manufactured products.

In September this year, the ASEAN Economic Ministers called for the effective implementation of special and differential treatment provisions of the WTO Agreements and greater attention to capacity building and technical assistance to facilitate their ability to participate fully in the WTO.