Hello Pablo,
China joins the WTO (2001)
Membership achieved on 11 December 2001 after a long negotiation arc (14+ seasons).
Direction: Terms & Conditions (Extended Cut).
Cast: trade negotiators, tariff schedules, and one spreadsheet that ate three ministries.
Plot: “Welcome to the club,” says the WTO, handing over a badge that reads:
“Most‑Favored‑Nation, but make it complicated.”
The negotiations took so long I’m convinced the final signature was done with a pen
connected to a pager: every time it vibrated, someone said “We’re close” and wasn’t lying,
just using a very philosophical definition of “close”.
All the best,
Marilda Gusmão