（来源：CHINA DAILY，2026-07-13）
25 years of WTO membership have witnessed the country continuously advance toward higher-standard globalization
Over the past 25 years since joining the World Trade Organization, China has transitioned from learning the global trade rules to becoming a significant participant and contributor in the realm of global economic governance. Through continuous and comprehensive opening-up, China has not only achieved remarkable domestic progress but also injected stability and predictability into an otherwise uncertain global economic landscape.
China is a steadfast supporter, major beneficiary and significant contributor to the multilateral trading system. The WTO is the optimal multilateral platform for expanding China’s global trade interests, and China’s accession along with its constructive role has strengthened the WTO’s status as a truly representative mechanism for international trade governance. Since joining the WTO in 2001, China has fully honored its commitments, substantially opened its markets and achieved remarkable development. Its economy has grown to be the second largest globally. It ranks first for trade in goods and second for trade in services. These figures reflect a fundamental shift in China’s economic development paradigm, moving from policy-driven opening-up to institutional opening-up, from passive adaptation to international rules to active participation in global governance, and from factor-driven to innovation-driven growth. High-level opening-up has fostered high-quality economic development in China and has consistently contributed roughly one-third of global economic growth, making China a key engine of the world economy.
China’s independent pursuit of high-standard opening-up has strengthened global stability. In recent years, amid protectionist tendencies, anti-globalization sentiments and significant changes in international governance structures, the world economy faces substantial uncertainties. China remains committed to high-level outward openness, positioning itself as both a defender and a contributor of economic globalization. It has adopted broader, deeper and more diversified measures, such as reducing its negative list for foreign investment, fully opening its manufacturing sectors to foreign investors and gradually expanding the opening-up of the service sector. China is upgrading its free trade zones, developing the Hainan Free Trade Port as a new frontier for openness and pilot-testing high-standard WTO e-commerce rules in Beijing. Additionally, China is establishing international platforms such as the China International Import Expo, the Canton Fair and the China International Fair for Trade in Services, which provide global companies with opportunities to showcase products, expand markets and deepen cooperation.
Currently, China is a major trading partner of more than 150 countries and regions and has signed 24 free trade agreements with 31 partners, creating concrete pathways for global trade cooperation. It has played a pivotal role in advancing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership — the world’s largest free trade agreement in terms of economic scale — which came into force in 2022. By reducing tariffs, simplifying customs procedures, facilitating investment liberalization and expanding market access to services trade, the RCEP has significantly boosted intra-regional trade and investment, creating a more integrated and efficient Asian market. China also strengthens South-South cooperation. It grants 100 percent tariff-free treatment to products from 53 African countries with which it has diplomatic relations. It has also actively provided technical assistance and capacity-building support to developing countries, helping them better integrate into global trade. By doing so, China is not only opening market access, but also sharing its development experience and fostering a sense of shared responsibility in addressing global economic challenges, particularly those faced by the most vulnerable economies.
China’s contributions extend beyond trade to global economic governance. It has transitioned from a rule-taker to an active participant, contributor and leader in global economic governance. In response to protectionist trends, China opposes trade barriers, advocates resolving disputes through dialogue and plays a stabilizing role in global industry and supply chains. China supports a multilateral trading system centered on the WTO and actively participates in its reform. Within forums such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and the G20, China promotes openness and win-win cooperation, seeks consensus on supply chain stability, promotes digital economy cooperation and advances collective actions to address climate change. Additionally, China is aligning with high-standard international rules and pursuing accession to agreements such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement to further boost trade and investment facilitation. China has been exploring new areas of international cooperation. On emerging issues such as the digital economy, green trade and supply chain resilience, China’s practices and proposals continue to energize global governance.
China shares its development opportunities with the world. Its advanced opening-up benefits both itself and the global community, embodying the idea of a community with a shared future for humanity. Through the Belt and Road Initiative, China has carried out extensive and in-depth cooperation with partner countries in areas such as infrastructure construction, production capacity cooperation and financial connectivity, promoting the economic development and improvement of people’s livelihoods in partner countries and opening up new space for global economic growth. In 2025, China’s trade in goods with Belt and Road countries reached 23.6 trillion yuan ($3.4 trillion). China-Europe freight trains have now exceeded 130,000 trips, further strengthening and expanding the Asia-Europe trade corridor. In addressing global challenges such as climate change and public health security, China has also consistently maintained an attitude of openness and cooperation, actively participating in international cooperation, providing assistance to the best of its ability and demonstrating its sense of responsibility as a major country.
China has made remarkable accomplishments over the past 25 years, stemming from its proactive efforts to seize opportunities brought by economic globalization, as well as its comprehensive expansion of opening-up and deep integration into the world economy. This success also signifies a major victory in steadfastly defending an open, inclusive and rules-based multilateral trading system. Over the decades, China has continuously advanced its efforts through tangible actions and long-term institutional arrangements, demonstrating its unwavering dedication to high-level opening-up. The widely recognized phrase “to be with China is to be with opportunities” highlights how China’s large market, improving business environment and predictable policies continue to attract global investment and cooperation.
Twenty-five years ago, China sought to integrate into the world economy. Today, an open China is contributing to the world economy with steady progress and an inclusive spirit. Looking ahead, China will continue to pursue an open strategy rooted in peaceful development, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. It will generate new opportunities for the world through its own development and work with all countries to build an open, inclusive and mutually beneficial world economy.
Li Siqi
The author is a professor at the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics.
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