Mike Moore, the director general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), said here on Saturday that he appreciated China's role in launching a new round of international trade negotiations.
China played a decisive role when the new member of WTO said that "we want a round, we want Doha to be successive" during the ministerial meeting in Doha, Qatar, last November, Moore told reporters.
Moore is now in New York attending the World Economic Forum annual meeting.
"That's very helpful, we are always grateful to that," he said, adding that there is a lot to begin for the biggest developing country.
But he pointed out that the new Doha round of global trade negotiations would fail unless rich countries open their markets to agricultural products from poor nations.
"If it is not addressed in this around, this around will not conclude," he said.
Moore also said that Russia is likely to become a full member of the trade body by 2003 when the next WTO ministerial meeting is due to take place in Mexico, although the process could be difficult.
"The Russians have passed a lot of the legislation necessary, there is considerable focus by President (Vladimir) Putin and his team in Moscow," Moore said.
(Xinhua News Agency February 3, 2002)
