World trade regime at an historic choice point
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21 May 2011
China says WTO talks must succeed
Big Sky, Montana - China is committed to the success of global trade liberalization negotiations and wants to prioritize the interests of the least developed countries, a senior official said Friday.
During talks among Pacific Rim officials on the World Trade Organization's troubled Doha round, Assistant Commerce Minister Yu Jianhua noted that China was increasingly dependent on foreign trade.
"Opening up is our basic national policy and we will never change that," Yu told reporters at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting at the ski resort of Big Sky, Montana.
"We cannot go without the world economy. So we need Doha. The conclusion of the Doha round serves the best interest and long-term interest of China," he said.
WTO chief Pascal Lamy, who joined the talks in Montana, last month warned that the decade-old Doha round was on the verge of collapse due to persistent disputes over industrial tariffs.
US Trade Representative Ron Kirk said Thursday there was a need for new ideas on how to move forward in WTO talks, acknowledging that statements of commitment to the Doha round increasingly sounded hollow.
Named for the Qatari capital where the talks were launched, the Doha round had the stated purpose of addressing interests of developing countries that felt they had lost out from globalization spurred by previous accords.
"The next step should be consistent with the Doha mandate -- that is the development dimension," Yu said.
"The priority should be given to the developing countries, especially the least developed countries," he said.
Least developed countries as classified by the United Nations are largely in Africa and South Asia and do not include China.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific_business/view/1130222/1/.html
