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China-Japan-Koreas
We should admit China to the OECD, head says
2005-07-26
China should be admitted as a member of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, according to Donald Johnston, the outgoing secretary-general of the organisation.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Mr Johnston said membership other leading economies should be reserved for China and other big emerging economies if the world is to have an effective body “shaping the global economy”.

“China is the biggest steel producer in the world and has a major impact on international commodity markets.”

Responding to concern at the lack of an effective forum to address global financial imbalances, he said the OECD was the natural candidate, given its permanent staff and expertise in macro and microeconomic issues.

Moves to admit more countries have been blocked by members of the organisation, known for its bureaucracy, where decisions have to be reached by consensus.

“We have been stymied for years in our efforts to try and expand our contacts, our engagement and certainly the membership . . . I don’t see how one of the agents shaping the global economy can do that without engaging the major players.”

Describing the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development as being “in crisis” raises the hackles of Donald Johnston, its outgoing secretary-general.

Mr Johnston dismissed concerns about human rights and the lack of democracy in China as a reason to for block it. “We are an economic organisation which has to deal with economic issues,” he said.

“We had dictatorships in the OECD in Portugal and Spain and had to deal with the colonels in Greece You cannot exclude a country that could become the biggest economy in the world.”

The willingness of China to play an ever greater part in the global economy is highlighted by its invitation to the OECD to undertake a survey of its economy and to subject its policies to public peer review and scrutiny.

The OECD’s first China survey will be released in mid-September.

In the past, participation in OECD country studies has served as a first step to membership of the Paris-based body. But even if China does not join, the forthcoming economic survey is a positive indicator of China’s progress integrating with the global economy.

John Llewellyn, chief economist at Lehman Brothers and a former senior official at the OECD, said: “Having peer scrutiny means that there is less likelihood of making mistakes, but it also means that if something does go wrong, the other [countries] are more willing to help you.”

passed as received
Posted by:rkb

#2  China does not "Co-operate" , on any of the treaties we have with them now. Why the fuck would we want to let them in on the admin. side of things? Why don't they just ask us to bend over and grab our ankles.
Posted by: Bigjim-ky   2005-07-26 22:41  

#1  " Keep your friends close and keep your enemies even closer "
Posted by: Thraling Ulaitle8166   2005-07-26 11:50  

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