On 16 May, 2025, the Friends of Multilateralism Group (FMG) organized a webinar on the US-UK and US-China deals. Stuart Harbinson, FMG Member and former represent Hong Kong and the HK Special Administrative Region of China at the WTO moderated the meeting.

 

At the meeting, Alan Wolff , FMG member, former Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO); Ignacio Garcia Bercero, FMG member, Former Director at the Directorate General for Trade of the European Commission (DG TRADE);Xiankun Lu, the founder and CEO of the Friends of Multilateralism Group  (FMG), former senior trade diplomat of China shared their views on the main contents and impact of US-UK and US-China deals, as well as WTO reform, and answered relevant questions from participants.

 

This meeting is based on below documents:

1.Joint Statement on U.S.-China Econimic and Trade Meeting in Geneva

2.General Terms for the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Economic Prosperity Deal

 

Over 60 participants joined the session, including members of FMG, Ambassadors/DPRs of WTO members, representatives from related international organizations, and experts from renowned think tanks and universities etc.

 

Watch this session via YouTube:

 https://youtu.be/LiX1dPx2HHc?si=3Ceqm08mVQlnakPE

 

Anenx 1: Programme

15:00-15:02 Opening Remarks

Speaker: Xiankun Lu (FMG)

15:02-15:05 Introduction

Speaker: Stuart Harbinson (FMG)

15:05-15:45 Presentations

Moderator: Stuart Harbinson (FMG)

15:05-15:20 Speaker: Alan Wolff (FMG)

15:20-15:35 Speaker: Ignacio Garcia Bercero (FMG)

15:35-15:45 Speaker: Xiankun Lu (FMG)

15:45- 16:30 Discussions

Moderator: Stuart Harbinson (FMG)

 

Annex 2: List of participants

FMG/FFMG

Ignacio Garcia Bercero (FMG)

Stuart Harbinson (FMG)

Xiankun Lu (FMG)

Alan Wolff (FMG)

Hilda Al-Hinai (FMG)

Mercedes Araoz (FMG)

Rajesh AGGARWAL (FMG)

Willy Alfaro (FMG)

Clemens Boonekamp (FMG)

Wendy Culter (FMG)

Jonathan Fried (FMG)

Wenhua Ji (FMG)

Alejandro Jara (FMG)

Robert Koopman (FMG)

Patrick Low (FMG)

Dorotea LÓPEZ (FMG)

Cecilia Malmstrom (FMG)

Mia Mikic (FMG)

Petros C. MAVROIDIS (FMG)

Mario Matus (FMG)

Rosine Plank (FMG)

Sherry Stephenson (FMG)

André SAPIR (FMG)

Mohammad Saeed (FMG)

Xinquan Tu (FMG)

Robert Wolfe (FMG)

Anabel González(FFMG)

Niall Meagher(FFMG)

 

WTO Missions

New Zealand: Clare Kelly, Ambassador

Slovak Republic: Judita Brzobohatá, Ambassador

The Netherlands: Audrey Goosen, Ambassador

Israel: Shir Slutzky, DPR

Liechtenstein: Patrick Ritter, DPR

Latvia : Renars Danelsons, DPR

Russia: Tatina Tsukanova, DPR

Slovenia: Špela Kučan, DPR

China: Kangrong Fu, Counsellor

Portugal: Sofia Marto Costa, Counsellor

Russia: Oleg Savelev,Counsellor

Türkiye: Ipek Bozoglu, Commercial Counselor

Russia: Sergei Tymma, First Secretary

 

Think Tanks

William Reinsch, CSIS

 

International Organizations

Adam Jakubik, IMF

Rose Carson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand

Valerie Picard, ICC

 

Others 

Xiaozhun Yi, former Deputy Director-General of the WTO

Yifat Inbar, Israel economic mission Beijing

Knut Berdal, Ministry of Agriculture and Food of Norway

 

Universities 

Peter Van den Bossche, World Trade Institute

Muhammad Naeem Tariq, professor, National University