[Explanation] 2021 is the 20th anniversary of China’s accession to the WTO. From the beginning of China’s entry into the WTO in 2001, China’s per capita GDP was only 8,700 yuan to today’s 72,000 yuan, and its economic aggregate ranks from sixth in the world to today’s second in the world. .

Economic experts said that China's accession to the WTO has seized the opportunity of globalization, and the WTO's dividends exceed all predictions.

  [Concurrent] Tu Xinquan, Dean of China WTO Research Institute, University of International Business and Economics

  In an international sense, its significance should be equivalent to the recognition of China's legal status by the United Nations in 1971. Joining the WTO is an important symbol of China's confirmation of its international economic status.

Joining the WTO is a top-down construction of a market economic system by China with reference to international rules. We use the pressure of international rules, or as a frame of reference for us, to conduct a review of our domestic market economic system. Complete combing, a large number of legal amendments, and system construction have enabled us to make a leap forward in our degree of marketization.

  [Explanation] At the beginning of China's entry into the WTO, the "wolf is coming" talk was rampant. Domestic industries were generally worried that after the "WTO entry", the Chinese market would be completely eroded by foreign-funded enterprises, causing some industries to shrink under the impact.

Experts in this regard said that the healthy competition between foreign-funded enterprises and local enterprises after China's entry into the WTO has continuously optimized China's business environment, and a more open market environment has also allowed local enterprises to continue to innovate and develop.

  [Concurrent] Li Yong, Deputy Director of the Expert Committee of the China Society for International Trade

  In the process of opening up to attract foreign investment, we have produced a benign competitive relationship. For example, in the automobile industry, we are now the world's largest in terms of automobile production and market size.

From the perspective of consumer electronics, the mainstream brands of consumer electronics are actually local brands. For example, Gree, Hisense, and TCL, you can see that Chinese companies continue to improve their R&D capabilities in the course of this competition. To improve our marketing capabilities and competitiveness in the market, for example, our current AI, our 5G technology, and some industries have indeed made considerable progress in the process of "entering the WTO".

  [Explanation] From 2001 to 2020, China has not only maintained its position as the largest country in global trade in goods for many consecutive years, but the average annual growth rate of trade in goods has reached 12.68%.

In 20 years, China's total trade in goods has doubled.

Experts say that after China's accession to the WTO, the market expansion effect is far greater than the industry competition effect, and the WTO's dividends exceed all predictions.

  However, in recent years, the WTO, which represents the multilateral trading system, has encountered a crisis and the Appellate Body has been paralyzed. Individual countries have adopted some unilateralist and trade protectionist practices, which have greatly undermined the effectiveness and authority of the WTO system.

While participating in WTO reforms, China is also actively participating in regional trade agreements and continues to reform and open up.

  [Concurrent] Tu Xinquan, Dean of China WTO Research Institute, University of International Business and Economics

  For example, we have completed the RCEP negotiations, which will take effect early next year, and we have also applied to join the CPTPP, which is a very high level of regional agreement in terms of economic integration.

So for China, the WTO is of course still the main platform for global trade governance that we firmly support, but at the same time, we also use other paths and channels to achieve a higher level of economic integration and at the same time promote the domestic economic system. Of these reforms and opening up.

  [Explanation] In 2020, the new crown epidemic will spread globally and the world economy will be in a downturn. However, in this adversity, China has still achieved positive economic growth. In the first three quarters of 2021, China's GDP will reach 82.3 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9.8%. In the third quarter, the average growth rate was 4.9% in two years.

Experts pointed out that the development of China's economy under the epidemic has played a positive role in the recovery of the world economy.

  [Concurrent] Tu Xinquan, Dean of China WTO Research Institute, University of International Business and Economics

  In fact, this epidemic has shown a very important feature that China has an irreplaceable position in the global value chain of the global supply chain.

Our core position has also become a mainstay for the world economy to maintain a relatively stable state.

In fact, China's economic development has also provided very important support for the difficult economy of many countries in the epidemic.

  Reporter Liu Xuanting reports from Beijing

Editor in charge: [Wang Kai]