Beijing Next Stop to Strengthen Bilateral Ties and Promote Ambitious Doha
Result
US-India Forum Success; Ministers Pledge to Double Trade in Three Years
BEIJING –Tomorrow, U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman will participate in
a series of meetings with senior Chinese officials and business leaders as part
of his trip around the globe to strengthen bilateral trade relationships and
promote a strong and ambitious result in the Doha Round negotiations. After
visiting China, Ambassador Portman will travel to Busan, Korea for the APEC
Meeting of Trade and Foreign Ministers.
While in Beijing, Ambassador Portman’s trip will deliver a keynote speech
given at a conference hosted by President George H.W. Bush. The conference is
entitled China-U.S. Relations: Trade, Diplomacy, and Research. In his speech,
the Ambassador will underscore the importance of active Chinese participation in
the Doha negotiations, as well as address the U.S.-China bilateral trade
relationship.
Ambassador Portman will also meet with Chinese Minister of Commerce Bo Xilai
and the National People’s Congress Economy and Finance Committee Chairman Shi
Guangsheng.
Today, the Ambassador departed New Delhi where he and Indian Minister of
Commerce and Industry Kamal Nath yesterday co-chaired the inaugural meeting of
the U.S.-India Trade Policy Forum. The Ministers announced an ambitious goal to
double trade between the two countries in the next three years. Currently, trade
in goods between the two countries stands at $20 billion annually.
"Over the next three years, we should undertake to double our trade between
India and the United States. I believe it’s achievable. The Trade Policy Forum
can help us realize that goal by serving as a hub around which we raise and
resolve our bilateral trade issues, opportunities and challenges alike," said
Ambassador Portman.
The co-chairs emphasized a results-oriented approach to the Forum. The two
sides agreed that working groups consisting of trade officials from both sides
will work through issues highlighted at yesterday’s meetings – in the areas of
industrial products and services, agriculture, investment, and creativity and
innovation – and provide interim reports within three months to the forum’s
vice-chairmen – Commerce Secretary S N Menon and Deputy U.S. Trade
Representative Karan Bhatia. ###
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