A recent US proposal to eliminate agricultural export subsidies
by a certain date, in a bid to push the stalled global trade talks,
got a positive response from China.
China, which become a member of the World Trade Organization
(WTO) in late 2001, also expressed concern over whether new members
will be granted special treatment in the new round of talks.
Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi
said she appreciated the proposal during a meeting with US Trade
Representative?Robert Zoellick Thursday in Beijing.
Wu said the agricultural issue is key and vital to the new round
of multilateral trade talks, and that the US proposal is
"constructive."
The US proposals were made by Zoellick last month in a letter to
his 146 WTO ministerial colleagues, after the ministerial meeting
in Cancun, Mexico for negotiations of Doha Agenda Development
collapsed last September.
Zoellick made a number of proposals on negotiations concerning
agriculture, goods and services.
Wu told Zoellick that China supports a return to normal
discussions as early as possible, and has worked vigorously for
that.
"We think that the early conclusion of a package of win-win
agreements from the new round would serve not only the interests of
the organization's developed members, but also the developing
members," Wu said.
She stressed that new members of the WTO like China enjoy a
special status in the new round, and should be granted special and
deferential treatment.
Vice Minister of Commerce Yu Guangzhou also spoke of those
concerns when talking with Zoellick.
"China has promised a wide and substantial opening when it
entered the WTO in December 2001," Yu said. "It is impossible for
us to offer a new round of market opening under the Doha
Agenda."
According to Yu, China has strictly implemented its pledges made
in its accession as a new and developing member of the WTO, and
contributed to the multilateral trading system of the world.
Zoellick said the United States and China will share a similar
stance on the new round of talks, since many interests of both
sides overlap, and added that China's active participation will
help push forward the trade talks.
He also commented this meeting has been very "productive" and
should start further consultations.
Zoellick arrived in Beijing Wednesday night following his trip
to Tokyo. He will also visit Singapore and South Asia, Africa and
Europe.
Zoellick also formally invited Wu to attend the 15th session of
the Sino-US Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade (JCCT), which is
set to be held in the United States in April this year.
Zoellick and US Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans are the
co-chairmen of the US side of the JCCT, while Wu represents the
Chinese side.
Trade between China and the United States reached a historic
high of US$126.3 billion in 2003, despite disputes over issues such
as anti-dumping and trade imbalances.
(China Daily February 13, 2004)