Ministers or their representatives from the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum agreed on Wednesday that APEC member economies should work harder for an early launch of the new round of World Trade Organization (WTO) trade negotiations.
On the first day sessions of the two-day 13th APEC Ministerial Meeting, which opened on Wednesday morning, the participants discussed the slowdown in world economy and the economic implications of the September 11 terrorist attacks, said Wang Guangya, vice foreign minister of China.
In their speeches, Wang said, the participants displayed a sense of urgency for an early launch of the new-round global trade talks under the current world situation in the wake of the terrorist attacks on the United States.
While different interest must be taken into consideration, all sides should also show flexibility, the vice minister said.
In three weeks time, the WTO Ministerial Meeting will be held in Doha, Qatar, at which many WTO members wish to start the new round of global trade talks.
(People's Daily 10/17/2001)
