On October 22, 2015, the International Forum: The 20th Anniversaryof the World Trade Organization and Book Launch: WTO at 20 was heldat Rainbow Hotel, Shanghai. The Forum was co-hosted by the ShanghaiUniversity of International Business and Economics (SUIBE) and theWorld Trade Organization (WTO), organized by the Shanghai Centerfor Global Trade and Economic Governance and the School of WTOResearch and Education, SUIBE, and supported by the WTO ChairsProgram and the Shanghai University Think Tanks Program.
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the launch of the WTO,it is of great significance for SUIBE, one of the first 14 WTOChairs globally, to co-host this forum.
His Excellency Mr. Yi Xiaozhun, Deputy Director-General of the WTO,Mr. Zhou Hanmin, member of the Standing Committee of the ChinesePeople's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) andVice-Chairman of the CPPCC Shanghai Committee, Prof. Sun Haiming,President of SUIBE, Prof. Xu Yonglin, Vice President of SUIBE, Mr.E Defeng, Deputy Director of Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China (MofCOM), Prof. Lin Guijun, VicePresident of the University of International Business andEconomics, Mr. Gao Zhan, Director of Shenzhen Fair Trade PromotionAdministration, Prof. Yang Guohua, Executive Vice President of theWTO Law Research Society of China Law Society, Prof. Zhang Lei, WTOChair and Dean of the School of WTO Research and Education, SUIBE,Mr. Coleman Nee, Senior Economist, Economic Research and StatisticsDivision, WTO, Mr. Marc Bacchetta, Counsellor, Economic Researchand Statistics Division, WTO, Mr. Clemens Boonekamp, FormerDirector of WTO Trade Policy Review Division and AgriculturalDivision and Deputy Partner of IDEARS, Mr. Mark Wu, Former Directorof U.S. Trade Negotiator's Office and Associate Professor, LawSchool, Harvard University and other experts and scholars from theWTO and other international organizations, the central governmentand local governments of China, Chinese and overseas universitiesand research institutions attended the forum.
In his opening address, His Excellency Mr. Yi Xiaozhun spoke highlyof the positive and important roles of SUIBE as a WTO Chair and ofProf. Zhang Lei as the only WTO Chair Holder in China in helpingdeveloping countries take part in the multilateral trading systemand promoting the WTO knowledge, in particular the understanding ofthe multilateral system in China. He congratulated SUIBE on itsachievements made since it was designated a WTO Chair in 2010 andexpressed the wish to hear insightful views from the expert andscholars at the forum.
He then reviewed WTO’s achievements since its launch in three majorareas. Firstly, it has widened its membership, lowered tradebarriers, reduced trade protectionism and put in place the disputesettlement mechanism. Secondly, the WTO is continuing its effortsin formulating rules that are in greater conformity with today’sbusiness environment. Thirdly, the challenges faced by the WTO arenot a result of its failings but of its success. He highlightedthat China’s accession was of great significance to themultilateral trading system for three reasons. Firstly, a WTOwithout China’s membership wouldn’t be multilateral. Secondly,China’s accession has stimulated the export increase of othercountries and China’s opening up has helped with the globaleconomic development. Thirdly, China and the other WTO members haveset good examples for non-members, showcasing the benefits of WTOmembership to their countries’ economic development.
Mr. Zhou Hanmin communicated three expectations to the WTO.Firstly, the WTO shall develop in line with the times. Membersjoined the WTO not for the mere purpose of having a place inGeneva, but with the hope that the WTO would play an effective rolein promoting the multilateral trading system and rule-making.Secondly, the WTO shall expand its role in dispute settlement tocover wider regions and plural areas. Thirdly, relevant WTO rulesshall continue to develop. To keep the ball rolling, it isimportant to ensure a level-playing field and protect theinvestors, laborers, intellectual property and environment.
Prof. Sun Haiming highlighted the significant contributions of theWTO, as one of the three major pillars of the world economytogether with the IMF and the World Bank, to the economicdevelopment of the countries through implementing the multilateraltrading system that is so far the most extensive and with thewidest coverage and through pursuing the principles of open market,non-discrimination and fair trade to the end of liberalizing globaltrade. He pointed out that the forum would help us review thecontributions of the WTO to the international economic and tradegovernance in the past 20 years and make predictions about theprospects of emerging economic and trade agenda for negations andeconomic and trade governance in the 21st century.
Prof. Zhanglei highlighted the role of the dispute settlementmechanism in the member-driven organization. Be it a complainant ora respondent, WTO members resort to the mechanism to settledisputes. Without the mechanism, there might not be major problemsbut there would definitely be problems. From this perspective, theWTO shall welcome more complainants and respondents.
The opening session was followed by three panel discussions, i.e.Book Launch: WTO at 20, Current Situation of World TradeDevelopment and Prospects of Negotiations on Emerging Topics ofEconomic and Trade in the 21st Century, and the WTO and Business.The experts and scholars present at the forum offered insightfulviews and opinions in the discussions.