Code: QK.05.03

Duration: 2005 - 2008

Manager: Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Thanh

Presiding Institution: Vietnam National University, Hanoi

Implementing institution: University of Economics and Business- VNU

Main Contents:

China carried out the commitments of the WTO after accessing the WTO in 2001. Besides reforming the Government and its functions, China performed directly the commitments such as changing and adjusting thousands of legal documents and regulations from ministries and industries; reducing tariff and non tariff barriers according to the WTO accession roadmap as well as carrying out their commitments in intellectual property rights, business rights, export regulations, subsidies, investment, securities services. Although there are some shortcomings in implementing the commitments in banking and finance, intellectual property rights, China basically performed well their commitments and simultaneously take advantages and opportunities when joining the WTO in order to maintain and develop its economy rapidly. 

There are some lessons drawn from successful experiences of China in implementing the WTO commitments: First, the commitments when accessing the WTO are the Governmental commitments to the world so that the Government has to carry out and arrange the implement of the commitments. Second, institutional reform accompany with legal system reform is indispensable for the country which transforming from centrally planned economy into a market one. Third, the governmental reform is necessary and it follows the tendency of the Government activities that must concentrate on the key and decisive issues to the economy and change from micro level into macro level, the economic management by legal system. Fourth, to implement flexibly the WTO commitments, the Government can speeds up the rate of implementing the commitments according to the schedules for the issues which are beneficiary to the economy.

Basing on the experiences of China and the reality after one year accessing the WTO, there are some issues that Vietnam should consider in order to implement effectively its commitments and take advantages of opportunities to access the WTO and develop the economy as follows: Improving the awareness of the WTO, particularly avoiding the thought of relying on the transitional period, building the strategies to utilize the opportunities and limit the challenges to access the WTO, speeding up the human resources training to carry out the commitments; concentrating on adjustments of legal documents and regulations according to the WTO rules, improving the studies of foreign law to explore and defense the lawful interests of the country; adjusting the policies on industries, strengthening the productivity and competitiveness of industries and businesses, etc.