Shanghai University of International Business and Economics (SUIBE) is among the first fourteen institutions selected as WTO Chairs in the history of the World Trade Organization (WTO) including GATT, and is the very first WTO Chair institution in China. In October 2018, SUIBE, the only representative in China, applied for the new round of WTO Partner Institution for Regional Trade Policy Course in the Asia and Pacific Region. In December 2019, after fierce competition, the WTO confirmed SUIBE as the partner of the WTO Regional Trade Policy Course (RTPC) for Asia-Pacific Members and Observers in a new term. SUIBE officially became the only regional training partner in Chinese Mainland among the seven WTO training partners worldwide. It is also the first time a university in Chinese Mainland had been awarded the programme.
Being the WTO Partner Institution for Regional Trade Policy Course in the Asia and Pacific Region is of considerable significance to SUIBE. Politically, it is not only an honor for the University but also a manifestation of China's soft power since its accession to the WTO. It is a concrete measure to effectively implement the principle of firmly upholding the multilateral trading systemthat has been mentioned several times by General Secretary Xi Jinping at the G20 Summit, Boao Forum for Asia, China International Import Expo, and other diplomatic occasions, reflecting China's strong support for the multilateral trading system. Diplomatically, it demonstrates China’s skilled diplomatic ability in the WTO affairs and the diplomatic situation where a just cause enjoys abundant support. Economically, it demonstrates that the economic achievements of China over the past 40 years of reform and opening up have made it possible for us to provide high-quality capacity building and technical support to developing members in the Asia-Pacific region. Academically, it is the only regional training partner established in Chinese Mainland and also the first time that a university in Chinese Mainland has been granted global training qualification for the programme, marking a new step for academic institutions in Chinese Mainland to join the network of WTO training bases in terms of WTO rules research, talent development, and capacity building.
The WTO Partner Institution for Regional Trade Policy Course in the Asia and Pacific Region provides training on WTO regional trade policy. It is a part of WTO technical assistance programme for government officials with trade-related experience from WTO members or observers in the Asia-Pacific region, covering various trade issues under multilateral trade agreements. Thirty WTO developing members and observers in the Asia-Pacific region will select senior officials to participate in an intensive training programme at SUIBE. The University will take this opportunity to benchmark itself against international standards and strengthen self-development to establish a well-organized network consisting of WTO Secretariat experts, experts from the Asia-Pacific region, and domestic experts. SUIBE will make positive contributions to deepening exchanges and cooperation in the economic and trade fields with countries along the Belt and Roadroutesin the Asia-Pacific region, promoting the active participation of Asia-Pacific economies in the China International Import Expo, and providing academic and talent support for China's involvement in international economic and trade governance so as to promote the development of a new pattern of all-round opening up.
Currently, WTO has seven Partner Institutions for Regional Trade Policy Courses worldwide. They are respectively in the regions of Asia-Pacific; English-speaking Africa; French-speaking Africa; Latin America; Arab and the Middle East; the Caribbean; and Central and Eastern Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus. So far, the selected Asia-Pacificpartners by the WTO Secretariat include world-class universities in this region, represented by the University of Hong Kong and the National University of Singapore.