1.   Government officials have said OECD membership will help strengthen local companies by promoting free competition.

2.   ASEAN membership will help open up its political system, he said.

3.   But Chi said membership still could help Beijing secure those stable trade terms and force Chinese companies to improve.

4.   Still, some are pessimistic that WTO membership will help China and Taiwan solve their differences.

5.   The Eastern governments are pressing for membership to help anchor them firmly to the West and bolster political and economic reforms.

6.   The EU wants Russia to step up its efforts to join the WTO, saying its membership would help resolve many of the unresolved bilateral trade issues.

7.   While unions have lost clout in the post-Communist world, Horn told the blue-collar crowd that EU membership would help them.

8.   WTO membership would also help China attract needed foreign investment, which has been declining as investors grow weary of bureaucracy and other trade barriers.

9.   WTO membership would also help guarantee the economic reforms of the last decade, Brittan believes.