The year 2021 marks the 20th anniversary of China's accession to the World Trade Organization. In order to thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the Sixth Plenary Session of the 19th CPC Central Committee, comprehensively understand the profound connotation of Xi Jinping's thought on the rule of law, strengthen exchanges and cooperation on the rule of law with other countries, and provide a rule of law guarantee for the building of a community of human destiny. From December 9 to 10, 2021, Peking University held the "Development of the Rule of Law in China and the World Trade Organization -- Symposium on the Rule of Law in Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of China's Accession to the World Trade Organization." Chen Deming, Honorary President of the World Trade Organization Research Association and former Minister of Commerce; Li Chenggang, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of China to the World Trade Organization; Qiu Shuiping, Party Secretary and Director of Administrative Committee of Peking University, attended the meeting and addressed the meeting. Yi Xiaozhun, former Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization, former Vice Minister of Commerce and former Ambassador of China to the World Trade Organization attended the meeting and attended the meeting. The symposium was chaired by Professor Zhao Hong, former Chairman of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization and Professor of PKULS. Pan Jianfeng, President of PKULS, presided over the opening and closing ceremonies of the symposium.

 

The Symposium

 

On behalf of Peking University, Qiu Shuiping extended warm welcome and heartfelt thanks to all the guests, experts and scholars attending the meeting. He mentioned that faced with the new mission of the era, Peking University must carry forward its glorious tradition, make greater contributions to the study of the rule of law spirits.

 

Qiu Shuiping

 

In his online address, Chen Deming said that China's accession to the WTO is a milestone event in the history of China and even the whole mankind. As a staunch supporter and practitioner of multilateralism, China should consider how to work with other members to promote the continuous development of WTO rules.

In his online address, Li Chenggang said that China has developed itself and benefited the world since its accession to the WTO and fully fulfilled its commitments and relevant obligations. China should take the opportunity of joining the WTO 20 years ago to sort out and sum up relevant experiences, promote the WTO to restore its relevant functions as soon as possible, show its due relevance in global economic governance, and deal with various issues raised by other members with an open mind and courage.

 

Online Attendees

 

Online Attendees

 

Also attending the symposium were former President of the WTO Appellate Body Zhang Yuejiao and Zhao Hong, Deputy Director-General of the World Trade Organization Zhang Xiangchen, Chief Economist and Director of the Division of Statistical and Economic Analysis of the World Trade Organization Robert Koopman, chief Legal Adviser to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and Professor at the European University Institute Ernst Ulrich Petersmann, ,Partner of Steptoe & Johnson Law Firm Matthew Yeo, Florida State University School of Law Prof. Frederick Abbott, Deputy Commissioner of Investigation of  Trade Remedy Bureau of the Ministry of Commerce Lv Jiang , Vice President of Renmin University of China Wang Yi, PKULS Prof. Jiang Ming'an, Party Secretary of PKULS Prof. Guo Li, , etc.

In the two-day symposium, Chinese and foreign guests, experts and scholars discussed and exchanged views on such topics as "The Impact of China's Accession to the WTO", "The Latest Progress of the WTO Multilateral Trade Negotiations and Prospects for the Future Rules", "The Progress of China's Rule of Law in the Past 20 Years: Review and Prospect", and "Exploration of the Reform of the WTO Trade Remedy Rules". It is generally agreed that China's accession to the WTO in 2001 is a milestone in China's deepening participation in economic globalization and a sign that China's reform and opening -up has entered a new historical stage. Since its accession to the WTO, China has actively practiced the concept of free trade, fully fulfilled its commitments, opened its market substantially and achieved greater mutual benefit, demonstrating the responsibility of a great power in opening -up. Standing at a new historical starting point, China is also facing new circumstances and challenges of the times. As a responsible world power, China will work with other WTO members to strengthen exchanges and cooperation on the rule of law with other countries, firmly defend the multilateral trading system with the thinking and approach of the rule of law, and jointly promote the building of an open world economy with high-quality development.

 

Some Offline Participants

 

Prof. Pan Jianfeng presided over the closing ceremony of the symposium and thanked the Chinese and foreign guests, experts and scholars attending the symposium. He said that the symposium was centered on a comprehensive and systematic review of China's experience, current progress and future expectations, and received strong support from both inside and outside the university. The guests, experts and scholars at the symposium put forward many valuable suggestions on the future reform of the WTO and China's active participation in the change of global governance, which are of great and far-reaching value to the work of the rule of law concerning foreign affairs, including strengthening the cultivation of foreign-related rule of law personnel.

 

Prof. Pan Jianfeng

 

In the keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Fourth China International Import Expo, President Xi Jinping systematically reviewed the 20-year history of China's accession to the WTO, highlighted the proposition of promoting global common opening up, and clearly proposed the measures for expanding opening-up in the next step. PKULS has accumulated certain experience in carrying out the research on international rules of multilateral trade and cultivating high-quality personnel on the rule of law concerning foreign affairs. PKULS will adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, continuously promote the reform of foreign-related legal education, and focus on the cultivation of judicial and legal service personnel in foreign-related law enforcement, as well as the training and placement of legal personnel in international organizations. The Peking University legal personnel will make due contributions to China's continuous and full participation in the reform and development of the WTO, to China's active participation in the formulation of international rules and to promote and lead the process of the change of global governance, and to better serve the overall situation of the foreign work in the new era and new journey.

 

Translated by: Jing Changheng

Edited by: Zhang Dayuan