国内英语新闻:Chinese ambassador urges quick delivery of revised text for Doha Round

GENEVA, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- It is time for the Doha Development Round to begin to center around the Chair-led multilateral process and to come up with a revised text, Sun Zhenyu, the Chinese ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO), said on Tuesday at a WTO Trade Negotiation Committee meeting.

"Time is not with us," Sun said, stressing the need to "plan wisely" in the year ahead to seize the window of opportunity in 2011, which is recognized by both G20 and APEC leaders in early November.

Sun commended progress generated from the "Cocktail Approach," which is made up of small-group informal discussions and brainstorming among the ambassadors, carried out throughout the last few months.

The brainstorming "paves way for possible progress in quite a few areas such as development, rules and dispute settlement," the Chinese ambassador said.

"But after all, the brainstorming is not and could not replace negotiating sessions," he added, calling for intensified engagements to deliver the revised texts at the earliest time.

"One of the major achievements of the G20 Summit in Seoul is that leaders reaffirmed their strong commitment to the DDA and directed us as negotiators to engage in across-the-board negotiations to promptly bring the Doha Development Round to a conclusion," the Chinese ambassador said.

"Across-the-board trade-offs could have a better chance when we have the texts on the table," Sun noted.

He also reiterated the stance on honoring the leaders' instructions through "respecting the mandate" and "building on the progress already achieved," in order to achieve a balanced and ambitious outcome.

In his speech, Sun gave priority to development as the top outcome of the Doha Round.

"Above everything, it has to be development-oriented," he said, giving a clear message that China is in favor of addressing the concerns of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Vulnerable Economies (SVEs) as a priority.