Article XII Members - The 2001 WTO accession of China: Negotiating experience – challenges, opportunities and post-accession approaches

China is among the Article XII members which joined the WTO after its establishment in 1995. Membership of the WTO has served as a major stabiliser and strong accelerator for China’s economic take-off, although China’s accession commitments were highly demanding. One of the most profound impacts brought about by China’s accession has been that the country fully embraced the rules-based spirit upheld by the WTO. Concepts such as non-discrimination, transparency and the rule of law are no longer trade jargon but common words for the general public. To this end, China conducted the largest legislative reform in its history to establish a WTO-consistent legal system. China’s accession brought tangible benefits to the Chinese people, quadrupling the gross domestic product per capita increasing people’s income and improving people’s livelihood. Household income increased from about US$800 to US$3,300, marking an annual growth of 10 per cent. More than 200 million people were successfully lifted out of poverty. As China benefited from integration into the WTO and the rules-based multilateral trading system, it has shared these benefits with other WTO members, including and in particular least-developed countries.