The World Economic Forum takes place in Davos from January 19 to January 23, 2026. Photo: VCG

China international trade representative with the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and vice minister of commerce Li Chenggang attended World Trade Organization (WTO) mini-ministerial meeting in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday, together with officials from dozens of other WTO members including the US, the EU, South Africa, New Zealand and South Korea, according to the MOFCOM on Friday.

Director-General of the WTO Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala also attended the meeting. President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin chaired the meeting.

Speaking at Thursday's meeting, Li said that the basic principles and rules of the WTO provide stability and predictability for global trade growth and form the foundation for the continuous development of the multilateral trading system. Amid current turbulence in international trade, the value of the WTO has become increasingly evident. 

The vice minister called on WTO members to engage in pragmatic cooperation and advance reforms to keep the multilateral trading system relevant and up to date, safeguard the effectiveness and authority of the WTO, and enable it to better play its important role in global economic governance.

China is a staunch defender and active participant in the multilateral trading system. He said China supports the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference in building broader consensus and achieving pragmatic outcomes on issues including formulating a work plan for WTO reform, incorporating the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement into the WTO legal framework, extending the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions, and food security. 

He emphasized that China will actively participate in WTO reform to help ensure that reform outcomes benefit all members and contribute to addressing the challenges of the times and the needs of the business community.

Participants generally recognized the important value of the WTO and emphasized that the principle of non-discrimination plays a vital role in promoting global trade and maintaining a fair and competitive environment, according to the MOFCOM. The participants expressed support for incorporating negotiated outcomes such as the Investment Facilitation Agreement and the e-commerce agreement into the WTO legal framework, called for the continued extension of the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions, and advocated advancing a WTO reform plan to guide subsequent reform efforts, with a view to jointly ensuring the success of the 14th Ministerial Conference, said the MOFCOM.

During the meeting, Li also held separate meetings with ministers from Switzerland, the EU and other members, as well as with Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

Global Times