北京方面正加大努力获得世界贸易组织的市场经济地位(MES)，尽管国际社会批评中国放弃艰难经济改革的声音越来越响亮。
从引导人民币贬值到救助股市，中国最近的举动令人担忧它正从让市场力量起到更大作用的努力倒退。但据了解相关讨论的人士介绍，中方并未因此气馁，而是再度发起努力，争取获得其垂涎的市场经济地位；近期中国将与四个最大的贸易伙伴分别举行峰会。
中国加入世贸组织的协议有一条允许其他国家视其为非市场经济。这项条款将在2016年12月到期，潜在要求欧盟在今年底开始起草新的贸易立法。
“对中国来说，市场经济地位是一个关乎声誉的问题，”一位驻北京的外交官表示。“对我们来说，这是一个需要作出的政治决定。”
授予中国市场经济地位，将使在世贸组织反倾销案件中成为目标的中国企业更容易为自己辩护，这导致一些人警告此举将给欧盟和美国带来“灾难性后果”。相关商谈加紧之际，中国国家主席习近平本周将启程对美国展开首次国事访问，他还定于10月份访问英国。中国总理李克强本月底将在北京会晤欧盟高级领导人，并将在今年晚些时候迎接德国总理安格拉?默克尔(Angela Merkel)。
虽然北京方面主张，根据中国入世协议的条款，市场经济地位应当在2016年12月自动得到承认，但其他贸易专家提出，届时该协议反而要求中国出口企业首先证明自己并未获益于政府补贴和汇率政策。
“我们肯定会在未来几天和几周听到更多关于市场经济地位的消息，”一位简要介绍了中国与美国和欧盟贸易谈判情况的人士表示。“不过，如果美国承认中国的市场经济地位，我会感到惊讶，尤其是鉴于明年美国将举行大选。”
在众多竞争者角逐美国总统候选人提名的背景下，中国是一个现成的靶子。根据欧洲一些商业组织委托撰写的一份论文，总部位于华盛顿的经济政策研究所(Economic Policy Institute)提出，市场经济地位将导致中国出口激增，可能使欧盟丧失多达160万个制造业工作岗位。
“中国大举补贴多个行业，并利用汇率操纵来支持生产和出口，使其积累了能够以折扣价格出口的大量过剩产品，”经济政策研究所的贸易研究总监罗伯特斯科特(Robert Scott)表示。“承认中国的市场经济地位，将损害这些产品在欧盟、美国和其他国家的生产商，使它们暴露于中国廉价产品洪流的冲击。”（中国进出口网）
Beijing is accelerating its push for World Trade Organisation market economy status (MES) despite growing international criticism that it has backed away from difficult economic reforms.
China’s moves to devalue the renminbi and bail out its stock market, among other steps, have raised concerns that it is backtracking from efforts to give a freer reign to market forces. Undeterred, the renewed drive for the coveted MES comes ahead of upcoming summit meetings with four of its largest trading partners, according to people familiar with the discussions.
A provision in China’s WTO accession agreement that allows other countries to treat it as a non-market economy will expire in December 2016, potentially requiring the EU to begin drafting new trade legislation by the end of this year.
“For China, market economy status is a matter of prestige,” said one Beijing-based diplomat. “For us, it’s a political decision to take.”
Granting Beijing MES would make it easier for Chinese companies targeted in WTO anti-dumping cases to defend themselves, leading some to warn of “disastrous consequences” for the EU and US. The ramping up of talks comes as President Xi Jinping leaves this week for his first official state visit to the US and is scheduled to visit the UK in October. Premier Li Keqiang will meet senior EU leaders in Beijing at the end of the month and also host German Chancellor Angela Merkel later in the year.
While Beijing argues that MES should be extended automatically in December 2016 under the terms of its WTO accession agreement, other trade experts argue that the agreement instead requires Chinese exporters to prove first that they do not benefit from government subsidies and currency policy.
“We will definitely hear more about MES in coming days and weeks,” said one person briefed on China’s US and EU trade talks. “But I would be surprised if the US would grant it to China, especially with next year’s presidential election.”
Beijing is an easy target for candidates in the crowded US presidential election field. In a paper commissioned by European business organisations, the Washington-based Economic Policy Institute argued that MES status would lead to a surge in Chinese exports, eliminating up to 1.6m manufacturing jobs in the EU.
“China has extensively subsidised a range of industries and used currency manipulation to support production and exports, allowing it to accumulate widespread gluts of goods that it can export at discount prices,” said Robert Scott, EPI’s trade research director. “Granting market economy status to China would harm producers of these goods in the EU, US and other countries by exposing them to a flood of cheap Chinese products.”
