Tonga-China sign market access agreement [1]
Thursday, January 20, 2005 - 09:02. Updated on Monday, January 19, 2015 - 16:03.
Tonga hopes to complete its accession process to the World Trade Organisation WTO by the end of the year, announced Tonga...s Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Cecil Cocker on January 19 at the Prime Minister's office, Nuku'alofa during the signing of a bilateral Market Access Agreement between Tonga and the People.'s Republic of China.
The Chinese Ambassador to Tonga Mr Gao Shanhai signed on behalf of the People.'s Republic of China.
China became the seventh country to sign a bilateral market access agreement with Tonga since 1995 when Tonga started processing its accession to the WTO. The six other parties that Tonga has signed a bilateral market access agreement are Australia, Japan, Canada, the European Community, New Zealand and Panama.
Tonga is currently negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with the USA, which it hopes to conclude before it files its application for WTO membership with the General Council of the WTO in Geneva, Switzerland before the end of the year.