The International Symposium on the 20th Anniversary of China's Accession to the WTO and the Construction of the Rule of Law Was Successfully Held

From December 10th to 11th, 2021, the International Symposium on the 20th Anniversary of China's Accession to the WTO and the Construction of the Rule of Law was successfully held in Beijing. The symposium was co-hosted by the Secretariat of International Commercial Dispute Prevention and Settlement Organization (ICDPASO), the Department of Legal Affairs of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, the World Trade Organization Law Research Society of the China Law Society, and the Institute of International Law of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. More than 50 relevant academic and practical celebrated experts from France, Switzerland, Canada, Sweden, Belgium, Malaysia, Hong Kong SAR, etc. attended this symposium online and in person.

2021 marks the 20th anniversary of China's accession to the WTO. Joining the WTO was a milestone for China's opening up and integration into the world. Over the past 20 years, China has actively fulfilled its obligations as a WTO member, and has always insisted on promoting reform through opening up and advancing growth through reform. The economy of both China and the world have achieved mutual benefit and win-win results.

Dr. LIU Chao, Secretary-General of the ICDPASO, delivered a keynote report on the theme of "20 Years of Ups and Downs Expecting the Second Flower of the Orient". He pointed out that mediation is known as the wisdom of Asia and the flower of the Orient, and it has been widely understood and applied worldwide. In order to effectively improve the WTO dispute settlement body, we ought to cultivate the second flower of the Orient—commercial dispute prevention, and prioritize risks and disputes avoiding by adopting cost-effectively methods such as legal identification, rule-making, and standard certification,etc. As the first international organization integrating commercial dispute prevention and settlement in the world, the ICDPASO has already been carrying forward commercial dispute prevention in the routine work. We look forward to adding a preventive mechanism to the WTO's dispute settlement body, so that the second flower of the Orient will blossom and bear fruit all over the world.

Members of the ICDPASO gave strong support and attention to this symposium. WANG Guiguo, Dean of the International Academy of the Belt and Road, Bernard DEWIT, Chairman of the Belgian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Caroline G. Bouisset, amfori Board member, and Sundra Rajoo, founding President of the Asian Institute of Alternate Dispute Resolution, delivered speeches in the keynote report session and thematic discussion session. They thoroughly analyzed and comprehensively summarized the achievements and contributions China has made in implementing WTO rules and promoting economic development since its accession to the WTO, which was of great significance for the improvement of the multilateral trading system in the context of the intertwining of the COVID-19 pandemic and great changes unseeing in a century.

The symposium conducted in-depth discussions on the issues facing the WTO and China’s role, pooled ideas and put forward suggestions to help the WTO get out of its predicament. In the future, ICDPASO will collaborate with all parties in the world to make more efforts and greater contributions to the restoration, innovation and improvement of the WTO dispute settlement body.