For Immediate Release June 30, 2004 Contact: John Goyer (202) 289-7460 x 22 CSI Chairman Calls on China to Embrace WTO Commitments (Beijing, China) In an address to the plenary session of the China International Services Convention and Exposition on June 30 in Beijing, Coalition of Service Industries (CSI) Chairman Norman R. Sorensen said that China's commitment to trade liberalization rules in the World Trade Organization (WTO) is essential to its continued growth. "If China is to realize the full promise of WTO-based liberalization, both for its employment, and for its enterprises' competitiveness in global markets, it is in its best interest to strengthen its efforts to embrace both the letter and spirit of its WTO commitments." Sorensen said. The program, which opened on June 30, included Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan, the Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission Ma Kai, Bill Gates, and others. The event is intended to promote the development and reform of China's service industries, and strengthen international cooperation in services. In his address, Sorensen, President of Principal International, Inc. said that "China has a brilliant opportunity to take a leadership role at the WTO and exercise its influence with developing countries by helping convince them it is in their own self-interest to accept trade and investment liberalization on the same good terms that China has. The result will be greater prosperity not just for China but also for many other WTO Members that yearn to emulate China's outstanding record of growth." In a separate speech to the Summit of Chinese Mayors and Governors the same day, Sorensen discussed the challenges of urban growth in China and the role of the services sector in employment and in the development of China's cities. He reiterated the importance of China's decision to join the World Trade Organization, and encouraged leaders of China's cities to support the implementation of the country's WTO obligations. # # # # # CSI is the leading business organization dedicated to reducing barriers to U.S. services exports and mobilizing support for domestic U.S. policies, including tax policies, which enhance the global competitiveness of its members. CSI was formed in 1982 to ensure that U.S. trade in services would become a central goal of U.S. trade policy and trade negotiations. It played a major role in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and in the advocacy effort leading to the 1997 World Trade Organization (WTO) Basic Telecommunications and Financial Services Agreements. CSI’s knowledge of the process of services trade negotiations, its ties to the WTO and its network of relationships with governments and industry in other countries are unmatched. For a complete list of CSI members, visit our website at www.uscsi.org.