On December 5-6, the Ministry of Commerce held the 2018 National and Local World Trade Organization (WTO) Working Conference in Beijing. Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative Wang Shouwen attended the conference.
At the conference, Wang Shouwen made in-depth analysis of China's active participation in the global economic governance system, firm safeguard of the rules of the World Trade Organization, and support for the necessary reforms to the WTO, and put forward requirements for continuous participation in WTO work, especially local work.
Wang Shouwen pointed out that since joining the WTO, China has actively implemented the concept of free trade and made positive contributions to the multilateral trading system while realizing its own development. In recent years, protectionism and unilateralism are rising and the authority and effectiveness of the multilateral trading system are facing serious challenges. Against this background, in accordance with the unified decisions of the Central Party Committee and the State Council, the Ministry of Commerce has proposed a document on China’s position，safeguarded the core values and principles of the multilateral trading system and promoted an open world economy. Local governments have strongly supported the work of the WTO and have done a lot of work regarding trade policy compliance, coordination and review and notification. Local governments should follow the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, further promote the evaluation of trade policy compliance, continue to fulfill the transparency obligations such as trade policy notifications, actively participate in various negotiations and discussions on new issues, and make new contributions to firmly safeguarding the multilateral trading system and push China to develop into a trade power.
During the conference, the responsible comrades of the Ministry of Commerce explained the general situation of their participation in the WTO, trade policy compliance, the WTO’s review on China’s trade policies, subsidy notification mechanism, investment facilitation, compliant fund support, and compliant trade policies in dispute settlement respectively. Participants had panel discussions on subsidies, trade policy compliance, and technical trade measures, and some local representatives made speeches and exchanged experiences in organizing and carrying out the local WTO work.
Attending were more than 100 representatives from 17 ministries, 32 provinces, cities and autonomous regions, 4 municipalities separately listed on the State Plan, and 12 local special commissioner offices.
