China won't seek special treatment in WTO pacts

As a responsible major developing country, China will not seek new special and differential treatment in current and future negotiations at the World Trade Organization, declared Premier Li Qiang at the High-Level Meeting on the Global Development Initiative in New York on Tuesday.

This constitutes an important statement of China's position to the international community, which takes both the global and domestic situations into consideration, said Li Chenggang, China's international trade representative with the Ministry of Commerce and vice-minister of commerce, during a news conference on Wednesday.

"It will surely serve as a shot in the arm for promoting the liberalization and facilitation of global trade and investment, and inject positive energy into the reform process of the global economic governance system," he said.

China will firmly uphold the multilateral trading system, actively implement the Global Development Initiative and push forward global governance, he added.

China, the world's largest developing country, will maintain its status and identity as a developing country, according to the vice-minister of commerce.

China joined the WTO in 2001 as a developing member, thereby gaining the institutional right to enjoy special and differential treatment. Under the WTO framework, such treatment for developing members mainly includes lower thresholds for opening-up commitments and obligations, as well as longer transitional periods for implementation, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

The ministry noted that since joining the WTO, China has enjoyed the special and differential treatment to which it is entitled and has actively engaged in multilateral trade negotiations. The country has made significant contributions to achieving multiple WTO negotiation outcomes and advancing freer and more convenient global trade.

Li Chenggang emphasized that China has always been a member of the Global South and will always stand in solidarity with other developing countries. Looking ahead, China will remain committed to advancing modernization with Chinese characteristics, resolutely deepen reforms, expand high-level opening-up and promote high-quality development.

Su Qingyi, director of the department of international trade at the Institute of World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said: "China's stance of not seeking special treatment in WTO negotiations means its treatment would be the same as developed countries. This move responds to the demands of certain developed countries for revoking China's status as a developing country."

"China's retention of its status as a developing country is in full compliance with international rules. The WTO has stated that China's current development level has not yet reached that of developed countries," Su said.

The Ministry of Commerce said that China will fully and deeply engage in the reform of the WTO as well as in the adjustment of international economic and trade rules. The country will firmly stand alongside the vast number of developing member states, prioritize development as the core of the WTO reform process, drive the WTO to deliver more development-oriented outcomes, and propel the global economic governance system toward a more equitable and rational direction.

Hu Jianguo, associate professor at the School of Law of Nankai University, said: "Many WTO member states hope that China will play a more pivotal role within the organization, and they also expect China to continue advancing high-level opening-up. In this context, China's latest announcement represents an important step in safeguarding and strengthening the WTO-led rules-based multilateral trading system."