DOHA (Islamweb & News Agencies) - Big powers and poor countries which united on Saturday to admit China to the world trade body, on Sunday tackle the far more divisive issue of whether to call a new round of talks on tearing down barriers to global commerce.But initial closed-session skirmishes -- and formal speeches by ministers setting out their countries' stance -- gave little sign that any of the key players were ready to move off positions that left advance discussions deadlocked.
``Right now, it's still a stand-off across the board,'' said one official following the backstage exchanges in the Qatari capital at the World Trade Organization's fourth ministerial conference since it was launched in 1995.
On Saturday, differences were put aside as the conference -- held amid tough security measures against a background of anti-Western feeling in Muslim countries -- agreed by acclamation to admit China to the WTO, which currently has 142 members.
Within hours after the gathering opened late on Friday, it became clear that it would not be easy to resolve differences that run within and across the traditional North-South divide.
Late on Saturday -- after six working groups had discussed the key issues ranging from farm subsidies through drug patents to investment -- WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell said it was ``by no means certain'' that the gaps could be bridged.
Envoys from several countries said the time left before the conference ended on Tuesday night seemed much too short to allow for production of an agreed declaration that would set out a blueprint for a ``trade round'' to start next year.
Even the term ``round'' -- used to describe seven earlier sets of trade negotiations since 1947 that are widely credited with fueling global economic progress in the second half of the 20th century -- is at issue.
``We are allergic to the word,'' said Tanzania's Trade Minister Issa Muhammed Simba, explaining that it implied the poorer nations would not get the concessions they desperately needed without giving in on their own vital interests.