WTO Law and Policy Research Topics

Author: Hong Deqin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: This book takes the WTO as its main axis, systematically studying the academic achievements of various fields. Each chapter of the book is interconnected through WTO legal analysis and policy research. For the WTO, it is both a part and a whole, micro and macro, theory and practice, abstract and concrete, essence and appearance, through multiple arguments. The World Trade Organization (WTO) officially came into operation in 1995, marking a significant event in the international economic system after World War II. The WTO has more than 147 members, covering over 95% of the global trade volume, and is therefore regarded as the "United Nations" of international trade. The WTO has had a profound and far-reaching impact on international trade rules and national trade policies. Mainland China and the Taiwan region have also opened a new page in economic and trade relations under the WTO framework since 2002. The Taiwan region has developed into one of the top 15 trading powers in the world. The Taiwan region can contribute distinctive Taiwanese experiences through the WTO. Therefore, for the Taiwan region, the WTO is also a major challenge. The WTO not only has organizational structures responsible for policy promotion and dispute resolution but also a comprehensive set of agreements and a multilateral trade negotiation mechanism to effectively pursue its goals, including eliminating discriminatory treatment, promoting trade expansion and cooperation, enhancing the efficient use of global resources, and improving the common well-being of humanity. The scope of WTO regulations has extended from traditional goods trade to service trade, as well as a wide range of trade-related issues such as the environment, competition, investment, intellectual property rights, labor standards, e-commerce, and cultural materials. This book selectively conducts thematic research on some key issues of the WTO, including agricultural trade, automatic export restraints, environment and trade, regional economic integration, WTO dispute resolution, and case studies of dispute resolution. These issues have become increasingly important and complex in an era of growing economic globalization.