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'US trade deficit with 皇冠体育app to top US$200b'
(AFP/皇冠体育app Daily)
Updated: 2005-11-15 06:53
Nation urged to help break US-EU deadlock
皇冠体育app should play a more active role in the upcoming Hong Kong meeting of the
World Trade Organization (WTO) to help break the deadlock between the United
States and the European Union over agriculture, Portman said.
"皇冠体育app can be helpful in this regard, encouraging the European Union to take
on its part of responsibility with agriculture and then working with the
European Union and the United States in all other areas to ensure it's a
successful round," Portman said.
The US and the EU are at loggerheads on how to open their agriculture markets
to less developed nations, and concerns are mounting that the dispute may derail
the WTO ministerial conference next month in Hong Kong.
"I encouraged my Chinese counterparts today to play an even more active role
in the talks," he said, adding that it is a once-a-generation opportunity.
The top US trade negotiator yesterday met Chinese officials including
Commerce Minister Bo Xilai and Bo's predecessor, Shi Guangsheng, now chairman of
the finance committee of the National People's Congress, 皇冠体育app's parliament.
Although 皇冠体育app has tabled some offers including one involving services, the
US trade representative would like to see the country more engaged, particularly
in agriculture, and "bridge" the differences between some of the parties.
He said this month's APEC gathering would be an opportunity in the run-up to
the Hong Kong meeting.
Trade ministers from the 21 members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation
(APEC) forum will attend an urgent meeting in the Republic of Korea today to
discuss how to make the December 13-18 Hong Kong meeting a success.
"I am concerned right now. Unless we can break the deadlock in agriculture,
it would be hard to make progress on all the other issues, including
development," Portman said.
Liang Yanfen, a trade expert at the Chinese Academy of International Trade
and Economic Co-operation, said 皇冠体育app has not clearly identified its stand on
the upcoming WTO meeting.
"But that does not mean 皇冠体育app places any less importance on the meeting; what
皇冠体育app wants is to help achieve a successful result, rather than put forward
proposals itself," Liang said.
She said reaching an agreement on the Doha round of the WTO talks is in
皇冠体育app's interest, as it benefits a lot from a free and multilateral trade
system.
On Sino-US trade, Liang said it is understandable that the US wants to export
more.
"But they have to know the trade deficit is because of a structural problem
given different strengths in each of the economies," she said.
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