WTO: China throws up barrier to Doha agreement

Source: The Guardian

Last-ditch talks to secure a new global free-trade agreement were entering a second fraught week in Geneva today as China became the latest stumbling block to ending almost seven years of marathon negotiations.

Pascal Lamy, the director general of the World Trade Organisation, tabled new proposals last night in the hope of securing a deal by the middle of the week that would liberalise international trade in agriculture, manufactured goods and services.

WTO sources said Lamy was confident of a final breakthrough after a cabal of the organisation's 150 members - the US, the European Union, Brazil, India, Japan, Australia and China - agreed a deal late last week that would see cuts in farm protection in the west in return for easier access to the industrial markets of developing countries.

But over the weekend India expressed concern about some of the details of the agreement and was insisting on extra safeguards for its farmers, while China angered other developing nations by demanding that some of its key manufacturing sectors - such as chemical and machinery - be excluded.



Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jul/28/wto.china

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More stalling tactics.

The WTO is not a democratic organization, nor does it represent the interests of people. It represents the interests of Big Money. I hate to see more difficulties for our nation, yet it is a relevent criticism that other countries wish to have more trade, but they do not wish for European, nor American Corporate interests to move further into their nations. The decisions that get made at the WTO do have real effects on markets worldwide. It would be nice if the Peoples interests could be heard and if the Peoples interests had a vote.