The documents adopted today by the Conference are the report of the Working Party for the Accession of Chinese Taipei, the Protocol of accession, which includes the terms of membership, and the schedule of Chinese Taipei’s commitments on market access for goods and services.

WTO Director-General Mike Moore welcomed the acceptance of Chinese Taipei into the rules-based trading system. “With Chinese Taipei’s membership, the WTO is taking yet another step towards achieving universal membership? said Mr. Moore. “This is an important step and one which I’m sure will enhance even further economic cooperation and will promote trade exchanges in a very dynamic region of the world? he added.

The Director-General also said “In the last two years the WTO Membership has increased by seven: Albania, Croatia, Georgia, Jordan, Lithuania, Moldova, Oman, and with another 28 seeking membership?

After the Ministerial Conference approved the accession, the head of delegation of Chinese Taipei, Mr. Lin Hsin-I, Minister of Economic Affairs, said : “This event not only illustrates the support and acknowledgement we receive from the WTO members, but also represents the trust and commitments of our 23 million people toward the multilateral trading system embodied by the WTO.?/p>

Under the chairmanship of Martin R. Morland, United Kingdom, the Working Party concluded on 18 September almost 12 years of negotiations with Chinese Taipei and agreed to forward the legal text for formal acceptance by the 142 Member governments of the WTO.

As a result of this negotiation, Chinese Taipei has agreed to undertake a series of commitments to open and liberalize its trade regime even further in order to provide better access to its markets to foreign suppliers of goods and services in accordance with WTO rules.

For further information and background on Chinese Taipei’s membership of the WTO click here.