Ian posted some of the recently released details of the US/China WTO/PNTR agreement. Where are the workers rights-human rights clauses and conditions? Where are the safety, health and environmental clauses and conditions?
They don't exist.
Tom
Michael Pollak wrote:
> I'm a bit confused. Even if the opponents of Permanent Normal Trade
> Relations with China won, how would that change anything? Presumably
> China would still be approved on an annual basis for this year. Once it
> finishes its negotiations with other WTO members (meaning essentially the
> EU), it would then apply for membership, which would be automatic. So
> blocking PNTR wouldn't stop China's accession. And once it was a member,
> revoking NTR on an annual basis would become a WTO violation, just as it
> would if we acted unilaterally against any other WTO member.
>
> Up until now I thought perhaps the US/China trade agreement was
> conditional on the US granting PTNR. But yesterday, Shi Guangsheng,
> China's equivalent of Charlene Barkshefsky, said that even if the US voted
> down PNTR, China would still apply for WTO membership this year. So
> what's the point and why are people acting like it's a big deal?
>
> Michael
>
> __________________________________________________________________________
> Michael Pollak................New York City..............mpollak at panix.com