The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, GENEVA

The United States, China and India exchanged hard words as WTO negotiations dragged into a second week on Monday, with Washington accusing India and China of hampering progress to a world trade pact, delegates said.

"The blame game has started. The US began by pointing its finger at India and China, and then China retorted sharply," a diplomat in the meeting told AFP.

Delegates from all of the 153 member states of the World Trade Organization were meeting this morning when the accusations flew.

The United States accused India and China of threatening to shatter a fragile deal reached by key parties in Geneva over the week, according to a statement obtained by AFP.

"All their invocations of development during the past years ring hollow when these major players threaten the development benefits already on the table that are absolutely vital to the vast majority of the membership," the US deputy head at the Geneva mission to the WTO, David Shark, said.

India's ambassador Ujal Singh Bhatia responded that the US accusation was "unfair", and that it was only saying so since it was "not achieving its aims", Indian negotiator Amarendra Khatua told AFP.

Ministers from about 35 key trading economies have been in Geneva for more than a week in an attempt to conclude the basis of a global trade pact.

However, an initial optimism which emerged on Friday dimmed over the weekend as emerging economies held out for a better deal.

Leaving talks on Sunday night, US Trade Representative Susan Schwab showed her frustration against the emerging economies.

She told reporters that there was a path "for a successful outcome on Friday night", and that while it was not perfect, it was delicately balanced, with a strong endorsement.

"Unfortunately a few emerging markets have decided that somehow they want to re-balance it in favour of one or another issue," she said.

"That was a very delicate balance that was strcuck. You pull one thread, it threatens to unravel."