Chinese ambassador Li Chenggang speaks at the opening ceremony for the WTO’s ministerial meeting in Abu Dhabi, 24 February 2024. (WTO/Prime Vision)

🇨🇳Behind WTO lines, China seeks to shape global trade rules. At rocky trade negotiations in Abu Dhabi this week, discreet yet heavyweight China seeks to shape global trade rules to align with its interests.

🪧Activists allege ‘heavy-handed’ UAE restrictions at WTO talks. A coalition of NGOs has complained after a series of detentions and material confiscation incidents since Sunday by the host United Arab Emirates, which faced similar accusations at the climate summit last year.

*️Climate change confined to mere annex in draft WTO deal. “Deep divergences” among members on the inclusion of environmental challenges in the WTO’s agenda have caused the issue to be sidelined at trade talks, much to the dismay of WTO chief Ngozi Okojo-Iweala.

👎India says no new deals at WTO without key US concession. New Dehli will stop hampering trade talks in Abu Dhabi only if the US does the same in an agreement on dispute settlement.

🐌As pandemic negotiations move at snails’ pace, scientists urge pathogen-sharing agreement. As pressure builds on countries at the World Health Organization to hash out a deal by May, insiders worry negotiators have overly focused on contentious issues while neglecting others.