The press conference of the Informal WTO Ministerial Meeting, held along the sidelines of the week-long second China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, was held on Tuesday.

The mini-ministerial agenda includes an exchange of views on expectations for the WTO's Twelfth Ministerial Conference (MC12) and how to achieve the desired outcomes. WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo also attended the ministerial luncheon on investment facilitation for development.

Hong Xiaodong, director-general of the Department of WTO Affairs, said ministers participating in the conference have reached consensus with strong support for reforming the WTO. 

"First of all, ministers participating in (the) conference are supporting the multilateral trading system and opposing unilateralism and protectionism. (We agree) to safeguard the rules-based multilateral trading system and protect the legitimate rights of the WTO members," Hong noted.

Hong said ministers expressed a positive attitude toward securing desired outcomes at the Twelfth Ministerial Conference. The MC12 will be held in June 2020 in Kazakhstan, marking the first time a Ministerial Conference will be organized in Central Asia.

Thirdly, the WTO should play a greater role in global economic governance. The ministers unanimously called for breaking the WTO's Appellate Body deadlock as soon as possible, improving the operational efficiency and promoting WTO rules to keep pace with the times, according to Hong.

In the joint statement issued by 92 members, the ministers at the meeting unanimously recognized the importance of investment facilitation and actively supported further discussions on investment facilitation in the WTO, added Hong.