| Doha Round, launched by the 4th Ministerial Conference, is the first multilateral trade negotiation after the creation of WTO. It includes 8 areas, namely Agriculture, Non-Agricultural Products Market Access (NAMA), Services, Intellectual property, etc. Among these issues, Agriculture has remained one of the most sensitive areas whereby progress on this issue could contribute to progress across the board. It is also of the greatest divergences among WTO members. Many developed countries want to maintain their high level of domestic support and ask the developing countries to lower their tariff levers. While most developing members stressed that the developed members should substantially reduce or even eliminate the trade-distorting measures such as export, subsidies and domestic support, grant special and differential treatment for developing countries. Because of the wide range of views and interests among member governments, and the complexity of many issues, the progresses in the negotiation of Agriculture as well as other areas were so slow that they all missed the deadline set in the DDA.The main task of the Cancun Ministerial Conference is to take stock of process in negotiations and other work under the DDA, but the Conference ends without consensus because of the wide gaps in the area of Agriculture and "Singapore Issues ". After Cancun, most members as well as WTO officials made their efforts to get the Round back on its track. At the WTO's General Council held in Dec.2003, the chairman presented the four key issues, namely Agriculture, Cotton, NAMA and the Singapore issues, as well as the possible solutions. These proposals gave a clearer sense of possible ways forwards. In 2004, most members expressed their willingness to get back to work, especially the United States and EU. In March, all the negotiation areas unlocked. August 1,2004, Doha framework for modalities ,"the historical breakthrough", was signed. This framework covers nearly all the negotiation issues including Agriculture, Cotton, Non-agricultural Market Access, Development, Trade inService, Special and Differential Treatment, Trade facilitation etc. It breaks the stalemate formed in Cancun, contains many significant promises and breakthroughs in many issues. Under the framework of Agriculture, all members promised to eliminate all kinds of export subsidies by the end date to be agreed, to make substantial reductions in trade-distorting domestic support, and substantially improve the market access. And the Cotton issue has a significant development. In NAMA, all members agreed to use a non-linear formula approach to reduce tariffs, reduce or eliminate tariff peaks, high tariffs, and tariff escalation. The establishment of this framework will positively effect china and other developing countries. But after that , the negotiations moved at an apparent slow speed, leaving a number of gaps to fill and thorny issues to resolve. In order to conclude the Doha Development Agenda in timely fashion and with an ambitious outcome, all members should make great efforts and the necessary realism and flexibility.As the largest developing WTO member and a new one, China should play its constructive role and actively take part in the establishment of multilateral trade rules during its first participation in the multilateral trade negotiation. China should also make the relevant adjustment in the foreign trade policies to adapt the multilateral trade systems. Such adjustments include making full use of the special regulations permitted by the WTO, establishing our special institutions to study the rules and make relevant countermeasures, presenting practical and operative text , uniting all the developing countries and safeguarding our benefits, etc. As an opening costal city, Yantai will also benefit from this Round. |
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