WTO G-33 & G-20 Ministerial Conferences held
DATE:2015-12-16 SOURCE:MOA
The WTO held G-33 and G-20 Ministerial Conferences respectively in Nairobi, Kenya on December 14, 2015. The Ministers clarified their stance on the agriculture negotiation agenda items, and approved the G-33 Ministerial Communiqué. Vice Minister Qu Dongyu attended and addressed the conferences.
Vice Minister Qu pointed out that the WTO-centered multilateral trading system is in line with the common interests of all countries. The year of 2015 marks the 20th anniversary of WTO, and the 10th Ministerial Conference has made remarkable achievements on some agenda items. It is believed that the conference will send a positive signal to the world and play an important role in facilitating the multilateral trading system.
Vice Minister Qu noted that the concerns from developing members on food security and farmer's livelihood are reasonable and should be solved.
China has a population of 1.36 billion, and more than 600 million are farmers. Therefore, food security and farmer's livelihood are of great significance to China. China supports the principled stance of G-33 on food security and special safeguard mechanism.
It is said that export subsidy is the most distorting measure for trade, and the key to solving problems in export competition is to eliminate export subsidy, including to fully implement the 2005 Hong Kong Ministerial Declaration.
Vice Minister Qu also underlined that during the post-Nairobi Ministerial Conference agriculture negotiations, members should adhere to the Doha Round mandate and give priority to the concerns of developing members, so as to pursue a more balanced and just outcome.