The Political Economy of WTO Implementation and China's Approach to Litigation in the WTO

摘要

Recent decades have been marked by robust and unprecedented economic growth in China. At the same time, China evolved from having a dismal participation in the world to accounting for more than 10% of trade flows in 2012. This increased role in international trade has been part of the Chinese strategy of international integration and economic development. Taking this strategy into account, in 1986, China started its diplomatic contacts to negotiate its accession to the WTO (World Trade Organization) or, more precisely, GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) at that time. This would enable China to enjoy better access to large markets made up of WTO members like the United States and the European Union. This bid was well-received by the WTO members, since they could now gain access to the growing Chinese market and have China conducting international trade under the GATT-WTO institutional framework. In 2001, China finally became a WTO member after almost 15 years of negotiations.