Monitor: International comment as Peking reaches agreement with Washington on China's entry into the World Trade Organisation

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China Daily

That we open our door on our own initiative is good reason for celebration. Some 150 years ago, a weaker China was forced at gunpoint to open to the West. It is under the leadership of the Communist Party that China finds its own feet and gains world respect. Let's look forward. We appreciate the vision of Chinese and US leaders. We hope to draw a lesson here: any problem can be settled with mutual understanding and accommodation. Indeed, China and the US have had conflicts now and then. But the conflicts are not insurmountable just because we have different social systems. We value sound Sino-American ties, which benefit not only the two nations, but the world at large.

The Washington Post

The WTO is in its infancy, and much of its authority - with respect to antitrust law, labour and environmental regulations and more - is still unclear. China, with its 1.3 billion people, will now have a large say; and with its corrupt system of party rule, its interests and America's will not be the same. Congress has no power to either admit or bar China from the WTO, it can only deny bilateral trade benefits in a way that would most likely be self-defeating. Perhaps the most that can be expected now is realism about the prospects of "rule of law" in China, and vigilance as to whether China honours its promises. That vigilance will have to come from outside China.

South China Morning Post

Progress has its price, which is why there have been many vocal critics of China's membership [of the WTO] on both sides of the divide. On the mainland, it will be greeted with mixed feelings and some foreboding. There is no escaping the job losses through the inevitable demise of unproductive state-owned industries, plus the opening up of others to foreign competition. Resistance may well continue inside China, as inefficient factories and financial houses realise new competition is on the way. The jobs and perks of many senior officials and executives will be on the line. Beyond that, fear of wider urban unrest and political instability explains much of the leadership's past reluctance to make many concessions in return for what will be a mammoth step forward in the country's emergence as a full member of the global marketplace. (Hong Kong)

Hong Kong Standard

The WTO entry may provide potent incentives for Beijing's leaders to realise the importance of the rule of law. WTO membership requires the mainland to abide by certain rules when trading with other economies. It must follow its trade-related laws in a "uniform, impartial and reasonable manner". Beijing still has to commit itself to speed up legal reforms and build the institutions necessary to meet WTO standards. And the creation of the rule of law in commercial and all other matters is China's biggest challenge - not only to be a true market economy but also a global partner. Yesterday was only the first step on the superhighway.

The New York Times

There are critics who say that China will not live up to its trade promises, and that the trade organisation is incapable of forcing it to do so. Perhaps. But with China outside the organisation the US has no real leverage. With Chinese membership, the US can marshal international sanctions for violations. Besides, the imposition of the rule of law on trade might strengthen the hand of domestic forces fighting for the rule of law for the rest of Chinese society.