Majority of WTO members reject China-backed investment facilitation plan

New Delhi: A majority of World Trade Organization (WTO) members rejected the China-backed group’s proposal on investment facilitation for development, saying it could only be done by consensus, some non-government advocacy groups have said. This vindicates the stand of India and South Africa against any such move that is not on the table at WTO negotiations, as the 13th ministerial conference (MC13) begins in Abu Dhabi on Monday. The convenors - South Korea and Chile, backed by China - announced the plan despite sustained objections from India and South Africa that these negotiations had no legitimacy. WTO members have explicitly…