China Policy Dialogue on Global Economic Governance & Trade
Context
China is a key player in the multilateral trading system. As a member of the G-20, and as one of the world’s largest economies, China has a special role to play in the context of current negotiations and in the formulation of a future multilateral trading system that advances the national interests of China and the interests, more generally, of development and developing countries world-wide.
Securing a sound outcome for development from ongoing negotiations in the WTO Doha Round is a central preoccupation of trade policy-makers in China and in other developing countries. Just as a focus on specific negotiating issues – agriculture, non-agricultural market access, services and so on – is crucial for China, so too is developing and implementing a longer-term vision for reform of the WTO’s decision-making and governance to make it more responsive to the interests of China and other developing countries.
Objectives
The policy dialogue would seek to promote:
• Sharing of information and learning among leading scholars and policy experts in Geneva, Oxford and China on issues relating to governance of the multilateral trading system;
• Identifying ways to improve the voice and profile of Chinese experts in global debates on the governance of the world trading system and institutional reform of the WTO;
• Supporting dialogue on questions of the governance of the world trading system for sustainable development; and
• Identifying leading research and articles for publication as part of a set of joint Oxford-HEI series of working papers on global economic governance and trade for development.
Format
The meeting will take place over one-day and include around 20 participants with the goal of ensuring an active dialogue between all meeting participants.
Participation
We envisage involving leading scholars, researchers, experts, policy-makers and representatives of relevant government departments.
Outcome
The meeting would contribute to a range of outcomes. Substantive outcomes would include:
• Improved collaboration among leading scholars and practitioners in China, Oxford and Geneva on key policy issues regarding global economic governance and institutional reform of the world trading system; and
• New or improved ideas on ways to improve the contribution of the trading system to sustainable development, to enhance its accountability, and to better respond to the needs of China and other developing countries.
Additionally, in terms of publications and other outputs:
• Papers prepared for the meeting could be made available on each organization’s website;
• The proceedings of the meeting could be summarized in a report which could be co-published by the meeting’s sponsoring organizations for distribution to its participants and other interested parties; and
• Leading contributions would also be considered for publication as part of Oxford’s Trade Working Paper Series and as part of an edited volume to be jointly published by Oxford University and HEI on global economic governance and trade for development.