Bridges Weekly Trade News Digest • Volume 5 • Number 41 • 4th December 2001
News From The Regions: Asia-Pacific
China Endorses GMO Deal with US
In a letter dated 26 November, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture formally endorsed a deal reached in October with the US regarding China’s regulations on imports of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), according to the office of the US Trade Representative (USTR). The interim deal (see BRIDGES Weekly, 30 October 2001) had been put in place until China issued implementation details for its 6 June GMO regulations. The USTR office welcomed the official endorsement, which they said was needed to increase orders of US soybeans from Chinese importers. The USTR also announced that it was sending its top agriculture negotiator, Allen Johnson, to China in mid-December for further discussions on China’s GMO rules. The release of implementation details, however, has been further delayed until further notice, according the China’s Ministry of Agriculture.
China Assures Commitment To WTO Obligations
Speaking at a meeting of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council last week, China’s chief WTO negotiator, Long Yongtu, assured delegates of his country’s commitment to its obligations as a WTO Member despite recent efforts towards regional free trade deals. According to one Chinese trade official, China, among other measures, had already reduced its overall tariffs to 15.3 percent and was committed to a further reduction to 10 percent by 2005. Long also confirmed that his country was seriously considering entering into a free trade agreement with Hong Kong and possibly the former Portuguese colony of Macao, in order to strengthen economic cooperation between them. The envisaged trade zones, however, would not include Taiwan due to continued tension between the two nations. Following approval of China’s accession to the WTO at the Fourth Ministerial Conference in Doha and subsequent ratification of the accord by the Chinese government, China will formally accede to the WTO on 11 December.
Asia-Pacific Prep Meeting Adopts Platform For WSSD
In what some described as perhaps the best outcome yet of the five regional prep meetings for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD), government officials at the High-level Asia- Pacific Regional Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (27-29 November) adopted the "Platform on Sustainable Development for Asia and the Pacific" which includes a regional assessment of Agenda 21 implementation, key issues and priorities for sustainable development, follow-up actions, and financing sustainable development. The Platform highlights, inter alia, the need for better integration of developing countries into the world economy and international trading system, recognising in particular the vulnerability and special needs of least-developed countries (LDCs). The Platform furthermore calls for the elimination of trade barriers to improve developing countries’ access to industrialised countries’ markets, and for technical assistance for LDCs.
Despite the fact that WTO Director-General Mike Moore was at the same hotel where the WSSD prep meetings were being held, he did not speak at or participate in the sessions. Sources say Moore was in Cambodia for meetings on that country’s accession to the WTO, and was reportedly unaware that the WSSD process was underway in the same location.
For a summary and analysis of the meeting, see IISD Linkages at http://www.iisd.ca/linkages/2002/ wsasi/.
"China says delays issuing details of GMO rules," REUTERS, 3 December 2001; "China endoreses deal on GMO soybeans," REUTERS, 4 December 2001; ENB Vol. 22 No. 8, 3 December 2001; "Asia-Pacific governments adopt platform," UN WIRE, 29 November 2001;"China considers FTA with H.K., Macao," KYODO, 28 November 2001; "China to cut tariffs to 10% by 2005," DOW JONES, 25 November 2001;"Pacific Rim Economic figures discuss China in WTO, impact of globalization," AP, 29 November.