China calls on WTO members to tackle trade tensions by strengthening multilateral trading system

China has called on the World Trade Organization (WTO) members to collectively safeguard and strengthen the rules-based multilateral trading system in order to tackle heightened trade turbulence, according to a Chinese envoy.

The current global economic and trade situation continues to be "marked by increasing turbulence," Li Yongjie, head of the Permanent Mission of China to the WTO, told delegates during a meeting of the WTO's General Council from October 6 to 7.

For the fourth time, China introduced an agenda item – calling for sustained action under its proposed "Stability, Development and Reform" (SDR) approach, which emphasizes stability as the cornerstone, development as the priority, and reform as the pathway to enhancing the resilience of the multilateral trading system.

The call was supported by many WTO members.

Li noted that the U.S.'s trade policies have disrupted global supply chains and markets, becoming a major source of global instability. The U.S. is using unilateral tariffs to coerce some WTO members into signing bilateral agreements, which infringes upon the legitimate rights and interests of many third parties, she added. 

This has led to a "power-based" trade relationship that is gradually eroding the "rules-based" multilateral trading system, and China expresses serious concerns over this, she stressed. 

The Chinese representative outlined three recommendations in response to the escalating trade turbulence in the world: first, to enhance transparency and monitoring; second, to collectively reaffirm commitment and adherence to the rules-based multilateral trading system; and third, to take concrete actions to promote pragmatic outcomes within the WTO system.

Representatives from the EU, Brazil, Australia, Switzerland, Pakistan and other members called for upholding the fundamental principles of the WTO and advancing its reform.

(Cover: File photo of Li Yongjie, head of the Permanent Mission of China to the WTO. /VCG)