On March 26, the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) opened in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon. Prime Minister of Cameroon Joseph Dion Ngute and WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, among others, attended and addressed the opening session. The Conference was chaired by Cameroon’s Trade Minister Luc Magloire Mbarga Atangana. Chinese Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao led the Chinese delegation to the meeting, and Ambassador Li Yongjie, Permanent Representative of China to the WTO, also attended the meeting.
In his speech at the plenary session, Wang Wentao stated that economic globalization is an irreversible trend of history, and multilateralism is essential to addressing global challenges. The international economic and trade order cannot revert to the “law of the jungle.” Win-win cooperation proves to be the right way forward. All parties should uphold multilateralism, strengthen the foundation for global trade, firmly support the rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, resolutely safeguard fundamental WTO principles such as the most-favored-nation treatment, and jointly resist unilateralist and protectionist practices.
Wang noted that at this Ministerial Conference held once again on the African continent, all parties should uphold solidarity and cooperation, strive for practical outcomes, endeavor to incorporate the Investment Facilitation for Development (IFD) Agreement into the framework of WTO rules, and aim for results on development-related issues. All parties should work with flexibility and efficiency to advance WTO reform so that it could play a greater role in global economic governance.
Wang stated that this year marks the beginning of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30). President Xi Jinping has emphasized that China will, in the spirit of open cooperation and mutual benefit, share opportunities and pursue common development with the rest of the world. China is actively expanding voluntary and unilateral opening up. Starting May 1 this year, China will fully implement zero-tariff treatment on imports from all African countries that have established diplomatic relations with China. China stands ready to work with all parties, uphold the vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity, and implement the four global initiatives, to jointly safeguard the multilateral trading system and free trade and inject sustained stability and positive energy into the world economy.
The Ministerial Conference is the WTO’s highest decision-making body and is convened every two years to advance negotiations on key issues, review the WTO’s routine work, and chart the way forward for the multilateral trading system. (Released on March 27)