中文
By Zhang Heling, Xia Fangting and Chen Yuehan
While China's 25 years in the World Trade Organization (WTO) transformed its own economy, the nation has also acted as a stabilizing force in global growth and a steadfast defender of the multilateral trading system.
That was the central message of the 25th Annual Conference on WTO and China and the Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of China's Accession to the WTO, held Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) in Beijing.
The conference brought together officials, scholars and former negotiators to assess the impact of China's accession in 2001 and the future of the global trading system.
Ma Jianchun, president of the China Society for WTO Studies, described the past 25 years as a two-way process linking rule awareness and global value chains, during which China learned, applied and helped shape international rules.
Ma Jianchun, president of the China Society for WTO Studies, delivers remarks at the 25th Annual Conference on WTO and China and the Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of China's Accession to the WTO in Beijing, Nov. 11, 2026. [Photo courtesy of the UIBE]
Han Yong, director general of the Department of WTO Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce, said China has fully implemented its WTO commitments and grown from a follower of international economic and trade rules into an active participant and important contributor.
"In some areas, China has become a leader. This represents a landmark change over the past 25 years," Han said.
Han Yong, director general of the Department of WTO Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce, delivers remarks at the 25th Annual Conference on WTO and China and the Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of China's Accession to the WTO in Beijing, Nov. 11, 2026. [Photo courtesy of the UIBE]
Long Yongtu, China's chief negotiator for WTO accession, and former vice minister of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, the predecessor of the Ministry of Commerce, said joining the WTO was an important step in advancing China's institutional opening up.
Since then, China has played a more active role in shaping global trade rules, and its continued opening up has created more opportunities for cooperation with developing countries, he added.
Long Yongtu, China's chief negotiator for WTO accession, and former vice minister of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, the predecessor of the Ministry of Commerce, delivers remarks at the 25th Annual Conference on WTO and China and the Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of China's Accession to the WTO in Beijing, Nov. 11, 2026. [Photo courtesy of the UIBE]
The conference also highlighted the mutual economic benefits of China's WTO membership. Wu Weixing, president of the UIBE, said China's accession has had an impact well beyond its own development and offers an important lens for understanding changes in the world economy over the past 25 years.
The expansion of the Chinese market has created new opportunities for global companies, while China's participation in the global division of labor has driven the development of industrial and supply chains, enabling producers and consumers in more countries to benefit from trade, he said.
Wu Weixing, president of the University of International Business and Economics, delivers remarks at the 25th Annual Conference on WTO and China and the Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of China's Accession to the WTO in Beijing, Nov. 11, 2026. [Photo courtesy of the UIBE]
Long Guoqiang, deputy head of the Development Research Center of the State Council, said China has developed new technologies in an open environment by drawing on markets and resources at home and abroad.
China's industrial upgrading has brought better, competitively priced products to world markets while boosting Chinese demand for high-quality goods and services, he said.
He called on countries to reject zero-sum thinking and accommodate each other's interests, saying better multilateral and regional trade rules could help more countries benefit from China's market, investment and technological progress.
Long Guoqiang, deputy head of the Development Research Center of the State Council, delivers remarks at the 25th Annual Conference on WTO and China and the Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of China's Accession to the WTO in Beijing, Nov. 11, 2026. [Photo courtesy of the UIBE]
In his closing remarks, Yu Yunquan, vice president of China International Communications Group and director of the China Internet Information Center (CIIC), said China's WTO accession had contributed significantly to global growth.
Yu Yunquan, vice president of China International Communications Group and director of the China Internet Information Center, delivers remarks at the 25th Annual Conference on WTO and China and the Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of China's Accession to the WTO in Beijing, Nov. 11, 2026. [Photo courtesy of the UIBE]
Over the past 25 years, China's share of global GDP has risen from around 4% to about 17%, while its contribution to global economic growth has remained at around 30%, he noted.
Looking ahead, Yu said China would remain committed to expanding high-standard opening up, safeguarding the WTO-centered multilateral trading system and supporting the common development of the Global South.
Tu Xinquan, head of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics, moderates the 25th Annual Conference on WTO and China and the Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of China's Accession to the WTO in Beijing, Nov. 11, 2026. [Photo courtesy of the UIBE]
The conference was jointly hosted by the UIBE, the China Society for WTO Studies and the CIIC.
