February 21, 2025 – Johannesburg, South Africa
On 21st February 2025, side-lining the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi conducted an interesting meeting with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director-General, WTO. The meeting demonstrated China's firm commitment to multilateralism as well as to providing a role of critical leadership within the trade system as a whole.
China's commitment to multilateralism and to supporting the WTO
Minister Wang Yi reaffirmed China's status as a UN founding member and long-time advocate of the current international order. He reaffirmed China's commitment to genuine multilateralism, emphasizing support for both the UN-centered international system and the WTO-centered free trade system. Despite the shared challenges of protectionism and unilateralism, Wang maintained that the tide of economic globalization is irreversible. He called for concerted action to promote trade liberalization and aid economic recovery globally.
Wang Yi stated China's pledge to continue supporting Dr. Okonjo-Iweala in driving WTO reforms forward. He emphasized listening to the voices of Global South nations and aligning with progressive world trends. Even as he acknowledged China as a developing country, Wang reaffirmed that China never shirks its global responsibilities. Wang promised that China will continue to keep its promises and demonstrate its commitment as a great global power.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala's Perception of China's Role
Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala acknowledged China's incredible advancement, noting that in the midst of worldwide challenges, China has been on the correct path. She noted China's early attainment of the UN poverty reduction goal, industrialization at full speed, and outstanding education success. These, she claimed, are a template and hold great lessons for other developing nations to follow.
The Director-General of the WTO appreciated China's commitment to consultation and dialogue, particularly in resolving trade disputes by multilateral channels in a mature and reasonable way. She emphasized the expectation of the WTO to receive ongoing strong support from China towards advancing WTO reforms in order to enhance the effectiveness and usefulness of the organization in the evolving world trade landscape.
Recent Developments in WTO Reforms and China's Role
Over the past few months, the WTO has been leading the debate on global trade reforms. China has been an active participant in these negotiations, pushing for a multilateral trading system based on the WTO. In January 2025, China urged protecting the WTO-based multilateral trade system, highlighting the role of the organization in offering an open, stable, and predictable environment for international trade. This stance is in harmony with China's overall endorsement of multilateralism andSupport for international economic organizations in global governance (en.people.cn).
Besides, in December 2024, China International Trade Representative and Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen met Dr. Okonjo-Iweala at the Seventh "1+6" Roundtable in Huangshan, Anhui, China. Wang Shouwen reiterated China's support for the WTO, with a focus on keeping true multilateralism and enhancing the functions of multilateral mechanisms like the WTO (english.mofcom.gov.cn).
China's Commitment to WTO Reforms
China has consistently expressed its willingness to apply WTO reforms, particularly regarding rules of subsidies. In January 2025, negotiations aimed at reforming the WTO rules of subsidies were underway, and China requested flexibility in the negotiation process. This is proof of China's sincerity towards WTO reform and recognition of the intricacy in reforming the multilateral trading system (china-cee.eu).
Conclusion
The meeting between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala reflects China's strong commitment to multilateralism and its active participation in shaping the future of international trade. By its support for WTO reforms and advocacy of a multilateral trading system, China continues to advocate the stability and prosperity of the international economy.
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