Nations call for multilateralism as WTO marks 30th anniversary

The World Trade Organization (WTO) commemorated its 30th anniversary on Thursday, with representatives from around the globe calling for a renewed commitment to multilateralism and a rules-based global trading system.

During the event, 41 economies jointly issued a Friends of Multilateralism initiative, recognizing the WTO's key role in driving global trade liberalization and integrating developing nations into the world economy over the past three decades. The statement emphasized that the multilateral trading system now faces serious threats, including supply chain disruptions and the resurgence of protectionism.

Participants urged all members to reaffirm their commitment to WTO rules, maintain open trade, and innovate reforms that will enable the organization to better address current global challenges, and safeguard the foundational role of the WTO-centered multilateral trading system.

Speakers from across the WTO membership, including Barbados on behalf of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group, Mozambique for the African Group, as well as the European Union, China, and Russia, expressed concern about rising unilateral tariffs and increasing global uncertainty. They reaffirmed the importance of the WTO's core principles, such as non-discrimination, and called for firm support of a WTO-centered, rules-based multilateral trading system, with a commitment to concrete actions for WTO reform and ensuring the success of the organization's 14th Ministerial Conference.

China's representative emphasized that growing global instability highlights the WTO's irreplaceable value. Criticizing the United States for imposing unilateral tariffs on WTO members including China, the Chinese side warned that such actions severely undermine the multilateral trading system and global economic stability, particularly harming vulnerable and least-developed economies.

China resolutely defends its countermeasures as necessary to safeguard its sovereignty, security and development interests, while also protecting international trade rules, fairness and justice. History has proven time and again that protectionism leads nowhere, and openness and cooperation are the right path forward, said the Chinese representative, adding that China remains committed to genuine multilateralism and to safeguarding the WTO's rules-based system for a more stable and predictable global economy.

The WTO was established in 1995, making free trade a universal principle in international trade and economic exchanges.

Nations call for multilateralism as WTO marks 30th anniversary

Nations call for multilateralism as WTO marks 30th anniversary

Nations call for multilateralism as WTO marks 30th anniversary

Nations call for multilateralism as WTO marks 30th anniversary

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Brasilia on Wednesday, expressing the willingness to strengthen bilateral ties and expand cooperation.

Lula said that Brazil and China have built strong mutual trust and deepened cooperation across various fields, showing that Brazil's steadfast friendship with China is the right choice and a model for South-South cooperation.

He said that he looks forward to maintaining close high-level exchanges with China, further strengthening economic and trade ties, and expanding the mutually beneficial cooperation in finance, energy and other fields.

China's firm and forceful countermeasures against the "reciprocal tariffs" is admirable, said the Brazilian president, noting that China's just actions have received widespread support while certain country's irresponsible and unilateral practices warrant joint resistance.

Brazil is willing to work with China to advocate free trade, defend international rules, and counter any power overriding international justice, the president added.

Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that China is willing to work with Brazil to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and push for more outcomes in building a China-Brazil community with a shared future.

China will strengthen its cooperation with BRICS and Global South countries, adhere to multilateralism and safeguard international rules, he said.

On the same day, Wang attended the 15th Meeting of BRICS National Security Advisers and High Representatives on National Security in Brasilia.

Brazilian president meets Chinese FM on closer ties, cooperation