The Key Is to Control the Initiative in Economic Development

From the perspective of the well-being of all the people of China, whether China joins the World Trade Organization (WTO), when it joins, and under what conditions it joinsâall these are unimportant. What is important is that, no matter how China joins the WTO, it must do so in a way that conforms to the long-term interests of the country and people. On this matter, we should learn well from the United States. The elite of U.S. political and business circles all have a deep understanding of the long-term interests of the United States, and they know very well how to enhance their immediate interests without adversely affecting their long-term interests. They have always kept the initiative in developing the U.S. economy firmly and securely in the hands of the United States itself, and they would never permit damage to the country's economic security. This is precisely why they are so wary about China's obtaining access to cutting-edge U.S. technology, and why they would even go so far as to threaten and impose sanctions on their allies and give up the extensive revenues that they would otherwise gain from their export trade.