2014年考研英语阅读精选之中国入世十年回想当年

　　考研阅读精选：中国入世十年回想当年 　　Ten years of China in the WTO 　　Shades of grey 　　It was right to let China in. Now the worlds biggesttrader needs to grow up 　　Dec 10th 2011 | from the print edition 　　CHINAS efforts to join the World Trade Organisation dragged on for15 years, long enough to turn black hair white, as Zhu Rongji, Chinas former prime minister, put it. Even after membership was granted, ten years agothis week, Mr Zhu expected many headaches, including the loss of customs duties and the distress of farmersexposed to foreign competition. 　　Yet the bet paid off for China. It has blossomed into the worlds greatestexporter and second-biggest importer. The marriage of foreign know-how, Chineselabour and the open, global market has succeeded beyond anyonespredictions. 　　It is instead Chinas trading partners who now contemplate its WTO membership withfurrowed brows . They have a variety of complaints: that Chinaexports too much, swamping their markets with cheap manufactured goods,subsidised by an undervalued currency; that it hoards essential inputs, such asrare earths, for its own firms; and that it still skews its own market againstforeign companies, in some cases by being slow to implement WTO rules , in others by suddenly imposing unwritten rules that areunfavourable or unknowable to foreigners. The meddling state letsmultinationals in, only to squeeze them dry of their valuable technologies andthen push them out. 　　Much of this criticism is right. China made heroic reforms in theyears around its WTO entry. That raised expectations that it has conspicuouslyfailed to meet. It signed up for multilateral rules, but neglected the rule oflaw at home. Free trade did not bring wider freedoms, and even the trade wasnot exactly free. It is in Chinas interest to liberalise its exchange rate further, to prevent localofficials from discriminating against foreigners and above all to do far moreto support the global trading system. The WTO is undermined when any memberflouts the rules, never mind one as big as China. 　　Too big to be a bystanderor to be kept out 　　But Chinas sins should be put into perspective. In terms of global tradeconsumers everywhere have gained from cheap Chinese goods. Chinese growth hascreated a huge market for other countries exports. And Chinas remainingbarriers are often exaggerated. It is more open to imports than Japan was atthe same stage of development, more open to foreign direct investment thanSouth Korea was until the 1990s. Its tariffs are capped at 10% on average;Brazils at over 30%. And in China, unlike India, you can shop at Walmart,most of the time. 　　As for the hurdles foreign firms face in China, they aredisgracefulbut sadly no worse than in other developing countries. The grumblesare louder in China chiefly because the stakes are higher. Foreigners may havewon a smaller slice of Chinas market than they had hoped, but China is a bigger pie than anyonedared to expect. Had China been kept out of the WTO, there would have been lessgrowth for everybody. And the WTO still provides the best means to disciplineand cajole. Rather than delivering congressional ultimatums, America and otherscould make more use of the WTOs rules to curb Chinas worst infractions. 　　So celebrate Chinas ten years in the WTO: we are all richer because of it. But, whenit comes to trade, Chinas rulers now badly need to grow up. Their cheating is harming theirown consumers and stoking up protectionism abroad. That could prove to beeconomic self-harm on an epic scale.