São Paulo, June 17, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - China will analyze carefully the proposal to join the third round of the Global System of Trade Preferences (GSTP), inaugurated yesterday (16) at the 11th meeting of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD XI), in this capital.

"China was not invited to take part in the first round of negotiations, because the first two GSTP negotiating rounds were open only to members of the G-77. At that time China was not a member," explained the Chinese representative, Enheng Li.

China was mentioned various times during the UNCTAD meeting as one of the priority countries for the GSTP, for its potential as an agricultural producer and for its large consumer market, more than a billion people. Among the other countries that have not yet signed the GSTP accord, South Africa and the poorest countries in the G-77 warranted special attention. Brazilian Chancellor Celso Amorim recalled that of the 49 countries in this category, only nine have endorsed the GSTP up to now.

South Africans, Cubans, Africans, and members of other delegations present at the session to inaugurate the third round of the GSTP also expressed support for the negotiations. Some of them called for new adhesions, and other promised to analyze their participation in the third round. All agreed on one point: the need to strengthen South-South trade.

Translator: David Silberstein