Wang, Xiaodong --- "What Lessons Can be Learned from the Doha Round?" [2012] ELECD 912; in Wouters, Jan; de Wilde, Tanguy; Defraigne, Pierre; Defraigne, Jean-Christophe (eds), "China, the European Union and Global Governance" (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012)

Book Title: China, the European Union and Global Governance

Editor(s): Wouters, Jan; de Wilde, Tanguy; Defraigne, Pierre; Defraigne, Jean-Christophe

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

ISBN (hard cover): 9781781004265

Section: Chapter 5

Section Title: What Lessons Can be Learned from the Doha Round?

Author(s): Wang, Xiaodong

Number of pages: 8

Extract:

5. What lessons can be learned from
the Doha Round?
Xiaodong Wang1

The Doha Development Agenda (the Doha Round) was launched in 2001
in the capital of Qatar. It is the ninth round of multilateral trade
negotiations and it has the largest ever participation. All 153 members of
the World Trade Organization are taking part in the negotiations,
covering around 20 topics. The Doha Round has set a record as the
longest trade negotiation round ever, surpassing its predecessor, the
Uruguay Round, which lasted eight years, from 1986 to 1994.
Why is it taking so long to conclude? What makes the Doha Round
different from previous rounds? What can we learn from the negotiations
so far? All these questions are extremely relevant and deserve thorough
reflection and research.
There have been studies which explore the underlying reasons behind
the Doha stalemate. Different authors have reached different conclusions.
Some attribute it to the fact that the Round can only bring limited market
access opportunities and thus fails to attract sufficient business support.
Some argue that hard-line positions taken by emerging countries and the
lack of leadership by the US and EU have led to the current deadlock.
Others note that the political cycles in some key players and frequent
changes of chief negotiators are the main barrier to the conclusion of the
Round. For example, it is difficult for US negotiators to offer concessions
before a Presidential election or mid-term elections, for obvious reasons.
Likewise, it is sensitive for ...