China welcomes historic WTO appointment of first woman and African as director general

Name: RCEP: 15 Asia-Pacific countries sign world’s largest free-trade deal
Uploaded: 2021-02-16T07:34:53.000Z
Duration: 3 min 29 s
Description: RCEP: 15 Asia-Pacific countries sign world’s largest free-trade deal

Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has ‘full confidence’ of Beijing which expects normal functions of global trade body to resume

World Trade Organization decision follows months of uncertainty after reversal of US objections to her appointment

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Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala from Nigeria has been confirmed as head of the World Trade Organization. Photo: EPA-EFE

Jevans Nyabiage

Published: 3:34pm, 16 Feb 2021Updated: 11:30pm, 16 Feb 2021

China said it had “full confidence” in the new boss of the World Trade Organization, after the appointment of Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was confirmed as the trade body’s director general on Monday – the first woman and first African to hold the position.

The Chinese commerce ministry said it expected the WTO to restore its normal functions “as soon as possible and promote the WTO to play a greater role in anti-epidemic cooperation and economic recovery”.

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RCEP: 15 Asia-Pacific countries sign world’s largest free-trade deal

The organisation, which regulates trade between nations, has been in a logjam since the US began openly frustrating its processes under former president Donald Trump. That included objections to Okonjo-Iweala’s appointment, which went ahead after they were withdrawn by the Biden administration.

“In the 73 years of GATT and WTO, honoured to be first woman and first African to lead. But now the real work begins. Ready to tackle the challenges of WTO. Forget business as usual,” Okonjo-Iweala said on Twitter, following the announcement.

She added that one of her priorities would be to work with members to quickly address the economic and health consequences brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Okonjo-Iweala, an economist who served as Nigeria’s finance minister and a World Bank managing director, will have plenty more on her plate – not least the US-China conflict playing out at the WTO.