Minister Wang Wentao Meets with WTO Director General Ivira

On December 8th, Wang Wentao, Minister of Commerce, met with the Director General of the World Trade Organization, Ivira, in Beijing, and the two sides had in-depth exchanges of views on the global economic and trade situation, WTO reform, and other issues. Li Chenggang, the representative and deputy minister of international trade negotiations, attended.

Wang Wentao stated that the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China passed the proposal to formulate the "15th Five Year Plan", outlining a grand blueprint for China's economic and social development in the next five years. China will actively expand independent and unilateral opening up, firmly uphold the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization as its core, share opportunities and common development with countries around the world, and inject more stability and certainty into the world economy.

Wang Wentao stated that unilateralism and protectionism are seriously impacting the international economic and trade order, and the World Trade Organization urgently needs to reform to better respond to global challenges. China is willing to work with all parties to jointly voice the correct support for multilateralism and free trade, focus on key areas and issues, and promote the 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization to achieve practical results in areas such as WTO reform, investment facilitation, agriculture and food security, and development. China will actively participate in the reform of the World Trade Organization and promote the construction and maintenance of a more just, reasonable, open, inclusive, and win-win international economic order.

Ivira highly praised China's firm support for the multilateral trading system over the long term, appreciated China's significant declaration not to seek new special and differential treatment in current and future negotiations at the World Trade Organization, and its exemplary role in adhering to multilateralism and expanding unilateral independent opening up. The current multilateral trading system is facing challenges but still resilient, and the reform of the World Trade Organization will help China achieve high-level opening-up and high-quality economic development. We look forward to China continuing to play a leading role and making greater contributions to advancing the WTO with the times and promoting global economic development.