India, China concerned about 'pro-rich' WTO draft
Cancun: Notwithstanding the combined front put up some developing countries, including India and China, in the areas of agriculture and Singapore issues, their concerns have been pushed to the backburner in the draft declaration circulated on the penultimate day of the fifth World Trade Organisation ministerial here. Toeing the line taken by the US and the EU, the draft is soft on agriculture subsidies provided by the two and mandates negotiations to begin for a multilateral agreement on government procurement and trade facilitation. Talks on investments also have been mandated at a later date as the draft has tied it to the launch of negotiations on agriculture and non-agriculture market access issues.

India, Brazil, China and other members of the alliance on agriculture and Singapore issues have expressed their strong resentment on the draft. These countries have stressed that the draft is unacceptable to them; and they huddled together with the EU and the US till early Sunday morning to iron out the differences. This will be followed by green room meetings, in which some countries including India, China, the EU and the US will meet with the facilitators to amend the draft.
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