Trade experts from 151 countries are resuming international trade talks in Geneva. Delegates to the World Trade Organization talks hope to reach compromises on a number of issues that have been holding up an agreement to liberalize world trade for the past seven years.
世界151个国家的贸易专家正在日内瓦恢复举行国际贸易谈判。参加世贸组织谈判的代表们希望在一系列问题上达成妥协，这些问题过去7年来一直阻碍着达成一项国际贸易自由化的协议。
Normally, nothing happens at the World Trade Organization during the first week of the New Year. But, these are not normal times. WTO spokesman, Josep Bosch, tells VOA there is a sense of urgency to restart negotiations on the so-called Doha round of trade talks immediately.
在新年的第一个星期，世贸组织通常没有什么重大议题，但是今年似乎不同。世贸组织发言人何塞普.博施对美国之音说，各国都迫不急待地要重新启动所谓的多哈回合贸易谈判。
"We have been negotiating for seven years and after seven years people are honestly getting a bit tired and now is the time to say is it possible to reach something? Is it possible that we can get altogether into an agreement that would really make a good impact on the economy of the world? And, this cannot go on forever. So, that is why there is an urgency and, there is so much that already has been achieved that now it would be a real waste to leave everything to waste," said spokesman Bosch.
他说：“我们已经讨论协商了7年，说实话，7年后人们都有点疲倦了，现在已经到了看看我们到底能否达成协议的时候了。也就是说，我们到底能不能达成一项对世界经济产生积极影响的协议。我们不能无休止地谈下去。所以各国都有了紧迫感，而且已经取得了很多成果。如果让这些成果付诸东流，确确实实是一种浪费。”
Though much has been achieved, much remains to be done. The main sticking point continues to be agriculture. Developing countries want greater access to the markets of rich countries for their farm exports.
虽然各国通过磋商取得很多成果，但谈判依然任重道远。目前主要的问题仍然是农业。发展中国家希望富有国家进一步对发展中国家的农产品开放市场。
They accuse the United States and European Union of distorting the market by giving huge subsidies and domestic support to their farmers and products. For their part, the rich countries want the poorer countries to lower the tariffs they impose on imported industrial goods.
发展中国家指责美国和欧盟扭曲市场，向他们本国的农场主和农产品提供巨额政府补贴。但是，欧美等富裕国家则希望穷国降低对进口工业品征收的关税。
Bosch says a balance has to be struck between these two competing interests. He says both the agricultural and industrial negotiations are closely linked.
博施说，必须在这两个利益冲突方之间求得平衡。他说，农业和工业谈判是紧密相连的。
"We always schedule the negotiations for industrial goods after agriculture because people are very much looking into what is the concession that rich countries are going to make in agriculture and then they are going to say, yes, I am prepared to give some concessions for the reduction of tariffs for your products to get into my market or not. This always depends on what happens in agriculture," explained Bosch.
他说：“我们总是把工业品的谈判安排在农产品谈判的后边，因为人们都急于知道富裕国家在农产品方面所做的让步，然后他们会说，好吧，我准备做出一些让步，削减你们产品进入我们市场的关税。这一直取决于在农产品方面达成的协议。”
Many observers believe it will be more difficult to reach a deal after the Bush Administration leaves office at the end of this year.
许多观察人士指出，在今年底布什政府卸任之后，要想达成一项自由贸易协议将会更困难。
Bosch maintains a neutral position and says the United States is a very important member of the WTO and participates at all levels of the negotiations.
博施秉持中立的立场。他认为美国是世贸组织中非常重要的成员，参与各个级别的谈判。
"Of course, everybody is watching the election in the United States because it is the biggest trader in the world. But, The WTO agenda cannot be just following one single country because as I said we are 151," he said.
博施说：“当然，大家都在关注着美国的大选，因为美国是世界上最大的贸易国，但是世贸组织的议程不可能只照顾某一个国家。原因如我所说的，世贸组织有151个成员国。”
Bosch says it is important to reach an agreement on liberalizing world trade as soon as possible. And then, he adds, WTO and its member countries will see what position the newly elected American officials take when they are in power.
博施说，尽早达成一项世界贸易自由化的协议十分重要。他补充说，世贸组织及其成员国将关注着美国下一任总统上台后的立场。 |