China takes aim at US and its allies over ‘unreasonable’ claims at WTO trade review

Wang Shouwen, China’s vice-minister for commerce, says many of the complaints made at the regular policy review were beyond the WTO’s remit

Wang said otherwise the review was ‘successful’ and had provided Beijing an opportunity to explain new trade policies and clear up any doubts

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Wang Shouwen, China’s vice-minister of commerce, has criticized the US and its allies for remarks at a regular WTO policy review. Photo: Simon Song

Published: 7:00am, 29 Oct 2021Updated: 9:31am, 29 Oct 2021

China has lashed out at the United States and its allies over their assessment of the country’s trade policies at a recent World Trade Organization (WTO) periodic review, describing them as “unreasonable” and “improper”.

Wang Shouwen, China’s vice-minister for commerce, said many of the complaints and demands raised by Western nations during the trade policy review on China last week, including in fields such as intellectual property rights and market access, were not within the scope of the forum or trade overseen by the WTO.

Much of the criticism should not be taken as fair assessment but a “wish list” for China, said Wang, who is also the country’s deputy international trade representative, at a press conference on Thursday.

“It is unfair, unreasonable and unacceptable to make China fulfil obligations beyond the WTO under the remit of the WTO,” Wang said.

However, he said Beijing would take seriously all concerns that fall within WTO boundaries to meet its obligations as a member.