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China urges US to exercise leadership in trade negotiations

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-06-10 10:39

The Chinese ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) Monday urged the United States to substantially cut farm subsidies so as to break the impasse of the Doha Round trade negotiations.

"Whether we can break the deadlock and reach a conclusion before the end of the year depends very much on the outcome of the agriculture negotiations, particularly on the reduction of agricultural subsidies," said Sun Zhenyu.

"China urges the United States ... to play a leading role and make a new and meaningful offer to substantially reduce its domestic support in agriculture to break the ice," Sun told a WTO meeting reviewing the US trade policies.

Sun said only through joint efforts of all WTO members can a successful conclusion of the Doha Round be achieved.

But he stressed that the United States and other major developed members of the WTO must exercise due leadership and give a strong push to the negotiations.

The Doha Round trade opening negotiations have gone on for nearly seven years, but WTO members are still quite divided, especially on agricultural trade and industrial market access.