In Asia: Weekly Insight and Features from Asia

Doug Bereuter, President of The Asia Foundation, recently returned from Korea and Mongolia. In Mongolia, he met with President Enkhbayar, Democratic Party Leader Ts. Elbegdorj, and Civic Union/Green Party Leader Enkhbat, in addition to touring mine sites in Zamaar soum, Tov aimag. His interview with MM News Television can be viewed here. In Korea, Mr. Bereuter delivered the speech, “Challenges in U.S.-Asian Relations Awaiting a New American President” which can be read in its entirety here.

Tuesday in Kuala Lumpur, representatives of the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) were slated to sign yet another agreement, two years in the making, that would have moved peace talks one step closer to a comprehensive compact. However, dozens of us — peace negotiators, diplomats, officials, and civil society observers — on a Monday afternoon flight from Manila were startled to learn, when turning on our mobile phones upon landing, that the Philippine’s Supreme Court had issued a temporary restraining order to halt the signing, leaving us to wonder how to move forward. In the short run, the Supreme Court will hear arguments on August 15 on whether to lift the restraining order or to make it permanent.

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Last week, the latest round of talks under the “Doha Round” of multilateral trade negotiations ended in disarray and disappointment. The trade ministers and negotiators gathered in Geneva could not — again — reach agreement on reforms in agricultural support and trade.

The mainstream press reports that the refusal of China and India to reduce import tariffs is the main reason for the collapse of the talks. Yet behind the belligerence of less-developed countries at the negotiations lies a much more important obstacle to trade reforms: the continuing and growing ” and worse, unnecessary subsidies, and protection being provided to European and especially American, farmers.

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