The sixth ministerial conference of the World Trade Organization, the top decision-making body of the international trade talks mechanism, will begin today (Tuesday) in Hong Kong. The Chinese Commerce Ministry says China hopes this round of talks will wrap up their work by 2006 as scheduled. And the Hong Kong meeting will bring an "early harvest" of consensus by members in various areas.

Trade negotiators in Hong Kong for the World Trade Organization talks conceded on Monday that prospects for progress towards a global free trade treaty are bleak. That's due to rich countries and the developing world still being at an impasse over agriculture. The WTO's Director-General, Pascal Lamy explains why.

Pascal Lamy said: "Now it's painful, it's difficult because we don't decide with the majority rule. We decide with the consensus rule which the image of which is that one of our 150 members can oppose with consensus and block a decision. But in agriculture what is in the making, it is a complex making, it is a painful making but it will result at the end of negotiation, in progress and substantial progress which developing countries are looking for. And you can rely on the fact that with two-thirds of the members being developing countries, this consensus will not happen without something serious in this direction."

Editor:Chen Zhuo  Source:CCTV.com