China's New Trade Issues in The Post-WTO Accession Era

The past eight years witnessed
China's phenomenal growth and integration into the
world economy, expedited by its accession to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) in 2001. The accession greatly
accelerated China's domestic reforms. By the end of
2007, China was ranked the second largest exporter and third
largest trader in the world after its exports grew at over
20 percent per year for the sixth year in a row. The
increasing competitiveness of China has been driving the
efficiency of production, innovation and growth of global
exports to new heights. Regional production networks in East
Asia grew substantially in the past few years and were
largely centered on China. This volume aims to help guide
policymakers in assessing the second generation trade issues
and their development impact on China by presenting lessons
from other countries and policy options. Trade is a
strategic area in which the World Bank has been working
closely with China with the aim to promote the
country's participation in the multinational economic
institutions, to reduce its barriers to trade and
investment, and to involve it more in global development and
cross-border learning initiatives. This volume would not
have been possible without collaboration with the Chinese
Ministries of Finance, Commerce, and Agriculture. It has
also incorporated valuable contributions from Chinese
researchers in the trade area. Studies in this collection
have been disseminated in a series of workshops and learning
events co-organized by the World Bank and the Chinese
counterparts in Beijing, which served as a forum for policy
dialogue among the Chinese policy makers, trade negotiators,
and scholars from development and international perspectives.