At this WTO General Council meeting, China proposed to use new ideas to inject new momentum into the development agenda.
Thu, Jun 04 2026
At this WTO General Council meeting, China proposed to use new ideas to inject new momentum into the development agenda.
During the WTO General Council meeting held in Geneva, Switzerland, China put forward a proposal intended to invigorate development topics with innovative ideas. China called for member countries to collectively reflect and improve the WTO's approach to development issues by infusing new ideas and vitality into long-standing unresolved issues, offering practical solutions to contemporary challenges such as climate change, food security, and the digital divide.
At this meeting, China's proposal required member countries to re-examine protracted negotiation topics with a "new era perspective" and called for moving beyond simply adhering to positions, to truly address the actual problems faced by developing countries. China advocated for a "gradual approach," focusing on specific issues, seeking pragmatic solutions, and striving for short-term results. The proposal also emphasized leveraging the advantages of the WTO's multilateral platform, enhancing capacity building, empowering developing countries to participate in negotiations through cooperation with other international organizations, and upholding the basic principle of "special and differential treatment," actively exploring autonomous and practical solutions.
China's Permanent Representative to the WTO, Li Chenggang, pointed out that the main goal of the Chinese proposal is to prompt all parties to begin reflecting and improving their work methods to achieve positive results in the discussions of developmental issues at the WTO. The proposal resonated with many parties, with over 30 member countries expressing support.
WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala highly appreciated China's constructive stance on the proposal, noting that development is a cross-cutting issue. She called for members to adhere to the principle of "special and differential treatment" for developing countries while also seeking more flexible and pragmatic approaches. Coordinators from the African Group of Chad, the Least Developed Countries Group Coordinator of Djibouti, and others also affirmed the Chinese proposal. They believe the proposal emphasizes that tackling development issues is a common responsibility of all member countries, conducive to guiding members to think about reforms and innovations, promoting balanced, coordinated, and inclusive global development, and striving for development-related results at the upcoming WTO Ministerial Conference.
Additionally, several WTO member countries, including the EU, Singapore, and Switzerland, expressed support for China's proposal. Development issues have always been a focus of the WTO, and the 13th Ministerial Conference (MC13) passed the "Abu Dhabi Ministerial Declaration," reaffirming the central role of development in the WTO's work. The Ministry of Commerce disclosed that China would continue to participate actively and comprehensively in WTO reform, pushing it to play a greater role in addressing global issues and challenges.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala stated in a recent meeting that since the last General Council, she has had active consultations with members from various countries. In these consultations, she observed that participating members displayed a "constructive spirit", with each member showing a strong desire to complete the tasks left unfinished at the Abu Dhabi meeting. Members unanimously agreed to explore ways to advance work in Geneva without relying solely on ministerial conferences to achieve results.
Chairman of the General Council Petter Ølberg from Norway announced plans to hold a working session on July 8th and 9th, aimed to think about how to work more effectively in Geneva and to allow the Ministerial Conference to be held onsite. Ølberg highlighted that such actions are to ensure that the WTO maintains its leadership position as an organization, addresses urgently needed workflow attention, and breaks longstanding stalemates.
During recent consultations in Ivira, four priority items were repeatedly mentioned, including fishery subsidies, agriculture, dispute settlement reform, and promoting investment facilitation for development. She underscored the importance of reforming dispute resolution, as a successful dispute settlement mechanism is crucial for maintaining WTO as a comprehensively effective organization.
Moreover, Ivira pointed out that members also frequently discussed the “Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement” during consultations, and how this agreement fits into the WTO framework. Currently, the agreement has been signed by 128 WTO members, including 90 developing countries.
Previously, Wang Shouwen also noted that the economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) should lead in implementing the resolutions of the 13th WTO Ministerial Conference, including but not limited to restoring the normal operation of the dispute settlement mechanism, promoting the integration of the investment facilitation agreement into the WTO legal framework as soon as possible, and achieving substantive progress on issues such as fishery subsidies, e-commerce, and trade and environment. Meanwhile, China will continue to fully participate in the WTO reform process to promote its greater role in resolving global issues and challenges.
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