Ministry of Commerce: After China's accession to the WTO, China enjoys fewer special and differential treatment than other developing members

The Paper's reporter Zhou Wei and Liu Hang

Wang Shouwen, vice minister of the Ministry of Commerce and deputy representative of international trade negotiations, was photographed by The Paper's reporter Zhou Wei

On October 28, at the press conference held by the Information Office of the State Council on the eighth WTO trade policy review on China, some media asked questions: When China joined the WTO, the global share of GDP was only 4%, and the per capita GDP was only 8,700 yuan; at present, China's global GDP has reached 17.4%, and the per capita GDP has reached 72,000 yuan. Some members held that under the background of growing comprehensive national strength, China should give up enjoying special and differential treatment for developing members in the WTO. What is China's view on this?

In this regard, Wang Shouwen, vice minister of the Ministry of Commerce and deputy representative of international trade negotiations, said that under the strong and correct leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese government has led the people of the whole country to adhere to the basic national policy of reform and opening up, give play to institutional advantages, and conform to the general trend of the world. After decades of arduous struggle and unremitting efforts, China's economic and social development has indeed made great progress, and its comprehensive national strength has also been increasingly enhanced. However, it must also be noted that the problem of unbalanced and insufficient development in China is still prominent, and the task of its own development is still very heavy. The report of the Nineteenth National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that China's international status as the world's largest developing country has not changed. China's international status as a developing country has not changed.

Wang Shouwen said that on the issue of special and differential treatment, there are special provisions in the WTO, and developing members enjoy special and differential treatment in terms of market opening and compliance with rules, and the specific rights and obligations must be decided through negotiations. According to the statistics of the WTO secretariat, there are now 155 articles on special and differential treatment in the WTO agreement, covering six aspects: increasing trade opportunities, safeguarding the interests of members, maintaining policy space, transition period, technical assistance, and special flexibilities for LDCs. For example, if an agreement provides for immediate implementation by developed members, implementation by developing members within five years, and such a transition period for developing members, this is special and differential treatment.

Some members were of the view that China should not renounce special and differential treatment. Wang Shouwen said that when China joined the WTO, it adhered to the principle of seeking truth from facts and shouldered obligations within its capacity in accordance with the principle of balancing rights and obligations. Thus, at the time of accession, they actually enjoyed fewer special and differential treatment than other developing members. Since joining the WTO, special and differential treatment has never been used as a "shield", and in fact, China's position and practice have made important contributions to some WTO negotiations.

For example, the WTO has concluded the Trade Facilitation Agreement, which contains provisions on special and differential treatment. To give you an example, for example, in the agreement, there are some C measures, that is, measures that can only be implemented by developing members after receiving funding from developed members, and China insists on completing it itself and does not need other people's financial support, which is that China does not require special and differential treatment.

For example, there are also some category B measures in the Trade Facilitation Agreement, which are measures that can only be implemented after a transition period, which developing countries need to implement immediately. China is a developing country, and some measures can be implemented after the transition period, but China does not need a transition period and implements them immediately, and such efforts have contributed to the conclusion and implementation of the Trade Facilitation Agreement.

In the negotiations on the expansion of the INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY Agreement, China did not require special and differential treatment, and as a developing country, it did so according to the balance of rights and obligations, and promoted the expansion of the Information Technology Agreement to a successful conclusion. China is also providing support and assistance to a number of LDCs within its capabilities, in the WTO and under the framework of South-South cooperation.

Wang Shouwen said that the above cases show that in these agreements reached after joining the WTO, China also enjoys relatively little special and differential treatment, and China determines whether to enjoy special and differential treatment according to the balance of rights and obligations. In future negotiations, as a responsible major country and the largest developing country, we will still adhere to the balance of rights and obligations, pragmatically handle special and differential treatment according to the level and ability of our own economic development, promote WTO reform, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and safeguard the multilateral trading system.

Editor-in-Charge: Li Yuequn