* U.S. distracted by healthcare but engaging more on Doha * U.S. considering proposal for Asia Pacific trade deal * Australia eyes free trade deal with Japan * Australian government committed to carbon trading scheme (Adds quotes on Japan, carbon trading) By Doug Palmer WASHINGTON, Oct 16 (Reuters) - The United States remains distracted by its domestic debate over healthcare reform but is becoming more engaged in the Doha round of world trade talks, a top Australian official said on Friday. Australian Trade Minister Simon Crean met U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk on Thursday to discuss efforts to bring the Doha round to a successful conclusion by the end of 2010, a goal set by the Group of 20 leaders in Pittsburgh last month. "It's difficult to get full engagement because of the issue of healthcare," Crean told Reuters in an interview. "I've come away reinforced in the view that they are engaged." The Doha round was launched eight years ago in the capital city of Qatar. Negotiators had hoped to reach a deal by January 2005 but ongoing disputes have repeatedly delayed an agreement. Despite that troubled past, Crean said he was hopeful after his meeting with Kirk that this time could be different. "I think it still clearly can be done within the timeframe. It requires political will and regular engagement. I think we have the political will. We've got good engagement. We've just got to keep at it," he said. On another issue, Crean said President Barack Obama's administration is clearly interested in pursuing a regional trade agreement in the Asia Pacific region "but they've not made a final decision on that." The United States already has free trade agreements with Australia, Singapore, Chile and Peru. Before leaving office, former President George W. Bush proposed forging those bilateral deals into a regional agreement and bringing in other countries like New Zealand, Brunei and Vietnam. "There is clearly a strong view (in the Obama administration) that this is a real opportunity to be a real building block for greater engagement in the Asia region. We've urged them to be involved obviously," Crean said. The United States would bring "critical mass" to the project, making it more likely others would join, he said. JAPAN AND CARBON TRADING Crean also said he would have a better idea whether a free trade deal between Australia and Japan was still possible after visiting Tokyo later this month. That will be the first Australian engagement with the new government of Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama since it took office in August, Crean said. But members of the new government indicated before the election they were keen to advance the relationship, "so I'm looking forward very much to assessing that much better when I get on the ground there," Crean said. On another issue, Crean said it was important to Australia's long-term economic interests to pass controversial new carbon trade laws. Cleaner fuels such as natural gas, which Australia has in abundance, "will attract a premium if market mechanisms are allowed to develop," Crean said. The government has been struggling to get laws through the Australian Senate to create a carbon emissions trading scheme after winning approval in the House of Representatives. Despite that situation, Crean said there should not be any doubt in fledging carbon trading markets about the direction of Australian policy. "It's quite certain as to where the government is. We want to go forward and establish it," Crean said. (Editing by John O'Callaghan)
Children hold up laboratory test results showing high levels of lead in their blood at a village in Jiyuan, Henan province October 15, 2009. China's largest lead smelting firm has acknowledged ...
