Research on International Trade Dispute Resolution and China's Countermeasures: A Perspective from the WTO

Author: He Xiaoyong
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-03-01
Features: With the deepening trend of economic globalization, international trade disputes are increasing. How to adopt an effective model to resolve trade disputes has become an important issue for the international community to explore. As a rising trade power, China has entered a period of high incidence of international trade friction. Behind China's breakthrough of the $100 billion trade surplus in 2005 lay a series of trade disputes. From the EU's "special investigation" on Chinese textiles at the beginning of the year to the EU's anti-dumping measures against Chinese bicycles and shoes, and the U.S.'s Section 337 investigations on Chinese rubber tires, it is particularly noteworthy that trade disputes between China and developing countries are also on the rise. According to statistics from the Ministry of Commerce, in 2005, countries such as India, Turkey, South Africa, and Mexico initiated 32 trade remedy investigations against China. Although the involved amounts were relatively small, their potential chain reactions should not be underestimated. In the face of increasing international trade disputes, how to properly resolve them to effectively safeguard national economic interests has become a major issue for China's opening-up in the 21st century. The Fourth Plenary Session of the 16th Central Committee explicitly proposed "mastering the use of international common rules to develop and protect ourselves," which includes the use of conventional international trade dispute resolution mechanisms to safeguard national interests. Currently, the most notable aspect of resolving international trade disputes is the establishment of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism. To date, there are 150 WTO members, and their total trade volume accounts for 95% of the global trade. Additionally, countries like Russia are applying for WTO membership, making the WTO dispute settlement mechanism increasingly the conventional mechanism for resolving international trade disputes. The Study of International Trade Dispute Resolution and China's Countermeasures: A WTO Perspective aims to research the operational rules and legal issues of international trade dispute resolution from both theoretical and practical perspectives, and proposes legal recommendations for China's participation in international trade dispute resolution. The book is divided into eight chapters.