A sign of the WTO on its headquarters in Geneva Photo: VCG

Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng met with WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in Geneva, Switzerland on Sunday night, during which He reiterated China’s support for the WTO’s role as a stabilizer for global trade, according to the Xinhua News Agency on Monday.

The multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core is the cornerstone of international trade and plays an important role in global economic governance. All parties should resolve differences and disputes through equal-footed dialogue under the framework of the WTO, jointly uphold multilateralism and free trade, and promote the stability and smooth functioning of global industrial and supply chains, He said.

China will continue to participate in the WTO reform in a comprehensive and in-depth manner, support the WTO in playing its role as a "stabilizer" of global trade, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing members, and contribute more to addressing common global challenges, the Chinese vice premier said. 

He also briefed on the relevant situation of the high-level China-US economic and trade talks upon request, according to Xinhua. 

Okonjo-Iweala noted that the global economy and trade growth are facing severe challenges, and WTO members should work together to uphold an open, rules-based multilateral trading system. She called for strengthened dialogue and cooperation on international trade issues, and support for the WTO to play a greater role in advancing trade liberalization, and achieving global sustainable development, according to Xinhua. 

Since joining the WTO, China has consistently upheld multilateralism and free trade, and supported the WTO’s critical role in global economic governance, Shi Xiaoli, director of the WTO Law Research Center at China University of Political Science and Law, told the Global Times on Monday.

In addition, China has rapidly evolved into a proactive participant, key contributor, and a leader in the multilateral trading system. In particular, as certain WTO members have increasingly resorted to unilateralism, China has confronted such practices head-on, voiced the shared concerns of affected members, and put forward proposals, demonstrating its role as a firm defender and staunch supporter of the multilateral trading system, Shi noted.

In recent years, China has proactively and significantly reduced import tariffs multiple times, bringing the overall tariff level down to 7.3 percent. Additionally, it has applied a zero-tariff rate to all goods originating from the least developed countries that have established diplomatic relations with China, according to Shi.

Amid increasing external challenges, local governments, departments, and a wide range of foreign trade enterprises have actively responded, contributing to a steady start to China’s foreign trade in the first quarter of the year. China will continue to advance high-level opening-up and engage in mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation globally, Wang Lingjun, deputy head of the General Administration of Customs (GAC), told a press conference in April.

China's foreign trade in goods in the first quarter of 2025 grew by 1.3 percent year-on-year, reaching 10.3 trillion yuan ($1.41 trillion), which marks a stable start to the year. The country’s foreign trade continued to expand at a solid pace in April, with total import and export value in April reached 3.84 trillion yuan, up 5.6 percent year-on-year, according to data released by the GAC on Friday.

China has remained the world’s largest goods trading nation for eight consecutive years and it is a major trading partner for over 150 countries and regions, according to the GAC.

Global Times