The forum will be jointly run by the WTO Shanghai Research Center, the Hong Kong WTO Research Center and the Chinese Law Research Center.

Wang Yaotian, director of the WTO Shanghai Research Center, said China's existing laws and regulations on the protection of intellectual property rights and the service trade have to be amended to prevent possible conflicts from occurring after the country's WTO entry.

Wang considers the forum a good opportunity for China to learn from law-making practices in other countries and regions, especially those in Hong Kong, which has abundant market-developing experience.

Sources said that the Shanghai municipal government has started to check and repeal laws and regulations failing to meet WTO standards.

Now, government decisions and documents previously untouchable to the public have been opened to society, marking a critical move by the east China metropolis toward WTO adjustment.

(xinhua 05/17/2001)