In revving up for next week's planned WTO trade liberation talks (opening Monday in Geneva), US trade officials stated this past Thursday that China will critcally impact the direction and outcome of these talks, voicing concerns that China has a “particular obligation” to make concessions on matters of trade. One issue of particular importance is the benefit China has reaped from opening their trade system, which US Trade Rep Susan Schwab estimates at “hundreds of billions of dollars.” She went on to prescribe that China fulfill its obligation to “give back to the Doha Round”
Because of the weight it carries in the global trade arena, international players are really looking for China to “step up and play a leadership role,” which means planning for actions that will offset deepening economic disparities.
In Geneva, 30 countries will convene to pick up the pieces of the flailing Doha Round, which was launched several years ago in the Qatari capital. Shortly after this launch, China experienced a sharp rise in its exports. “Without [China's] contribution it is impossible to imagine a successful conclusion to the Doha Round,” Schwab says. Her estimation of the situation is described as “cautiously optimistic,” focusing on “good conversations” the US has recently had with Chinese officials. Still, the US is hopeful that China understands the gravity of the Doha Round's need for its willingness to be a good team player.
“I think a deal is eminently doable … it is doable next week.” Stay tuned for new developments coming soon.
A few months ago, I wrote about the early stages of the conflict in Ukraine through the lens of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. While it appears likely that the war will carry on into the foreseeable future, enough time has passed for us to make an honest assessment of each side’s relative […]
The Ukrainian Army has made dramatic strides in the last few weeks. Ukraine’s tactical commanders have outfoxed their Russian counterparts, and by issuing a feint towards the south the UA has been able to earn substantial gains in the north of their country. The impact of these efforts have been compounded by the steady stream […]
In mid-May the Irish political party, Sinn Féin, won the plurality of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Many American readers might not fully understand the significance of Sinn Féin’s political victory- but rest assured that subjects of the United Kingdom and a wide range of political movements the world over have heard the message […]
The first wave of the Russian offensive in Ukraine has fallen short of Russian autocrat Vladmir Putin’s ambitions. Most analysts deduced that Putin had hoped to achieve a decapitation strike of the Ukrainian government- taking Kiev and replacing Ukrainian President Vladimir Zolinski with a pro-Kremlin voice. Kiev has been threatened repeatedly through the course of […]
On the weekend of March 26th, the notorious MS-13 gang went on a massive killing spree in El Salvador which left more than 70 people dead by Sunday. Even for a country where powerful gangs hold massive sway, this recent tragedy stands out considering that it was the bloodiest day on record since the civil […]
