XINHUA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE | May 1, 2002
BANGKOK--Chinese Deputy Foreign Trade Minister Long Yongtu introduced China's positions in the new round of global trade negotiations Wednesday, calling for fostering a new international economic order and protecting interests of the developing countries.
He spoke at the mid-term review conference of the 10th session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), being held here between April 30 and May 3.
"Although members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) have made great efforts to realize the new round of multilateral talks after it was launched at the WTO Doha Meeting later last year, uncertainties remain for the future of the talks, " Long said. "The Chinese government sincerely hopes that the substantial stage of the talks could be started as soon as possible, in order to keep the vitality of multilateral trade mechanism," he said.
Long said China's principled positions in the new round of trade talks are linked to three issues.
"Firstly, we think the new multilateral negotiations should be conducive to the establishment of a fair, just and reasonable new international economic order, for the sake of the world's economic development, and for the balance of the interests between developed and developing countries," he said.
"Second, the new round of talks," he said, "must take into full consideration of the development stages and needs of developing countries and the least developed countries (LDCs) by making special arrangements for them in terms of the degree and speed of their market liberalization process."
"Full and effective participation of developing countries in the new round of talks must be guaranteed and general balance of the negotiations must be realized between developed and developing countries," he said.
"Thirdly, the developed countries, as the biggest beneficiaries of the globalization, must commit to provide developing countries with assistance in enhancing the latter's negotiation capability and skills," Long said.
On China's entry into the WTO, the senior official said the event marked the beginning of a new phase of China's reform and opening-up course and will sustain and accelerate China's economic growth.
"A prosperous, affluent and open China will provide new momentum and opportunities for the economic growth of the world, especially that of the developing world," Long noted.
He said China will act according to the WTO rules and further its economic reform and opening-up process, so as to be integrated more closely with the rest of the world.
The meeting gathered hundreds of the ministers and senior officials from some 100 UNCTAD members, and served as a regular mid-term review process between UNCTAD's 10th session here two years ago and its next session to be held in the Dominican Republic.XINHUA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE:
