Meanwhile, the chief executive of the International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development shares with CGTN his thoughts on how the WTO should react to the rise in protectionism and unilateralism. Ricardo Melendez-Ortiz says the organization should figure out a market defense to promote cooperation.

RICARDO MELENDEZ-ORTIZ, CHIEF EXECUTIVE INT'L CENTER FOR TRADE & SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT "So the WTO role is to promote cooperation, that's what they should do. The WTO should ensure that there is engagement in the WTO on these issues. The issues should not go to where they have gone. Meaning there is no reason for unilateral action, if you could instead seat at the table and try to tackle the issues that generate attention.

I think it's time now to sit down and to try to figure out what way we could organize a market defense. The question of remedies, the use of remedies like anti-dumping, the use of safeguards. And update the route book of the WTO, make sure there is good economic result behind those agreements. We can use the rules in ways that they speak, they're relevant to business models in the 21st century economy."