Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Secretary-General Long Yongtu hopes
that the upcoming trade ministers' meeting will give a boost to the
stagnant Doha round of WTO talks.?
Long made the remarks in an interview on the eve of BFA Annual
Conference 2004, which is being held on April 24 and 25 in Boao, a
small scenic town in China's southernmost province of Hainan.
A trade ministers' meeting was specially scheduled during this
year's conference. The top trade officials from Australia, New
Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Japan, China and the Philippines
will gather to discuss the post-Cancun talks.
Long Yongtu is China's former vice minister of trade and the
country's chief representative in WTO negotiations. The
international trade veteran said that the meeting is an important
one, which he is hoping will present Asian viewpoints on WTO
talks.
"WTO negotiations are usually led by the United States and
European Union, and if the Boao Forum can present a fresh viewpoint
on behalf of Asian and Oceanic countries, it will certainly benefit
the current round of WTO talks," said Long.
Market access for produce, export subsidies and domestic support
are stubbornly thorny problems in the Doha round of WTO
negotiations, and finally led to a bitter stall-out in the talks at
Cancun, Mexico, last September. It is hoped that the Boao Forum
will provide a platform in which these participating countries,
both developed and developing, can exchange views and overcome
hurdles. Long Yongtu believes that the viewpoints and suggestions
voiced in Boao will eventually contribute to the Doha round of WTO
talks.
The Doha round of trade negotiations is due to conclude by
January 1, 2005.
(China.org.cn by staff reporter Tang Fuchun April 24, 2004)