On January 22, 2026, Davos, Switzerland once again became an important stage for global trade governance. The World Trade Organization held a small ministerial meeting here, bringing together representatives from nearly 30 member countries including China, the United States, the European Union, and South Africa to jointly explore how to reshape the authority and effectiveness of the multilateral trading system through cooperation and reform in the face of severe challenges. The Chinese representative clearly conveyed the firm voice of supporting multilateralism and promoting pragmatic reforms at the meeting, injecting key impetus into the conference.

China elaborates on its core position

Li Chenggang, the International Trade Negotiator and Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Commerce of China, clearly stated in his speech that China is a firm defender and active participant in the multilateral trading system. He pointed out that in the context of the fundamental principles of the World Trade Organization being challenged and the global trade situation being turbulent, the value of the organization is even more prominent. China calls on all members to engage in pragmatic cooperation, jointly maintain the effectiveness and authority of the World Trade Organization through progressive reforms, and enable it to play a more important role in global economic governance.

China promotes key issues

China has put forward specific and constructive goals around the upcoming 14th Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization. Li Chenggang emphasized that China supports the conference in consolidating consensus and achieving practical results in multiple key areas, including formulating specific work plans for WTO reform, promoting the formal inclusion of the Investment Facilitation Agreement into the WTO legal framework, extending the current practice of exempting electronic transmission from tariffs, and addressing global challenges such as food security. The Chinese side promises to actively participate in the reform process, ensure that the results benefit all members, and effectively respond to the needs of the times and the voices of the industry. Keywords: New News Video, New News Video News

Consensus and future direction among all parties

The attending parties generally recognized the irreplaceable value of the World Trade Organization and emphasized the fundamental role of the principle of non discrimination in maintaining a fair and competitive environment for global trade. The meeting formed a positive mainstream intention, with most members supporting the inclusion of negotiation results in areas such as investment facilitation and e-commerce into the WTO legal system, and advocating for the continuation of tariff exemption arrangements for electronic transmissions. All parties agree that it is necessary to introduce a guiding WTO reform plan and work together to promote the success of the 14th Ministerial Conference, providing direction for the future development of the multilateral trading system.Editor/Gao Xue