Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation (WTO),
Colin Murdoch, held discussions this week with his Chinese counterpart,
Ambassador Li Chenggang.
The bilateral meeting was held at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
in Geneva, where both ambassadors are based.
At the outset Ambassador Li highlighted the excellent relations between Antigua
and Barbuda and China, which have existed for over forty years. He also
mentioned the recent visit by Prime Minister Gaston Browne to China where he
met with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping. He emphasized that the Chinese side
regarded the visit of PM Browne as very successful; and that part of his
responsibilities was to follow up on aspects of the decisions reached during PM
Browne’s visit.
Ambassador Murdoch stated that he expected relations between both countries to
be strengthened after the meeting between Xi Jinping and PM Browne and that he
would work towards a closer cooperation between China and Antigua and Barbuda
at the WTO. He pointed out that he was aware that both sides had agreed in Beijing
to strengthen cooperation in international agencies and bodies such as the WTO.
Both ambassadors discussed the ongoing work of the WTO especially in light of
the upcoming 13 th ministerial conference in Abu Dhabi at the end of February and
how the positions of both countries could be aligned on various issues that will
come before the ministerial conference, including WTO reform, fisheries subsidies
and special and differential treatment for developing countries. Ambassador Li
noted that OECS had been playing a very active role in the ongoing WTO
negotiations and he wished to establish a regular consultation mechanism even
after the ministerial conference.
On the matter of WTO reform, Ambassador Murdoch briefed Ambassador Li on
the OECS position on reform of the WTO dispute settlement system and he took
the opportunity to remind the ambassador of the case brought by Antigua and
Barbuda against the United States (DS 285) which Antigua and Barbuda won but
which still remains unsettled. Ambassador Li informed that as a former trade
negotiator for China he was familiar with the case.
Both diplomats agreed to establish regular meetings and to work more closely on
WTO issues.
