The 9th Hongqiao International Economic Forum Sub-Forum - “2026 World Trade Report” seminar and Chinese press conference was held on November 6. Han Yong, director of the World Trade Organization Department of the Ministry of Commerce, said that WTO reform needs to be deepened urgently and must keep the right direction. The first is to adhere to the core values and basic principles of the WTO. The second is to promote various reform tracks in a balanced manner, such as development, decision-making mechanisms, fair competition, and fundamental issues, to ensure that developing members are better integrated into the multilateral trading system and enjoy the necessary policy space. The third is to firmly place development at the center. It is necessary not only to deal with long-standing traditional issues such as poor operation of special and differential treatment and insufficient technical assistance and capacity building, but also to deal with emerging issues such as digital trade, artificial intelligence, and green transformation, including incorporating development-focused investment facilitation and e-commerce agreements into the WTO legal framework as soon as possible.

The 9th Hongqiao International Economic Forum Sub-Forum - “2026 World Trade Report” seminar and Chinese press conference was held on November 6. Han Yong, director of the World Trade Organization Department of the Ministry of Commerce, said that WTO reform needs to be deepened urgently and must keep the right direction. The first is to adhere to the core values and basic principles of the WTO. The second is to promote various reform tracks in a balanced manner, such as development, decision-making mechanisms, fair competition, and fundamental issues, to ensure that developing members are better integrated into the multilateral trading system and enjoy the necessary policy space. The third is to firmly place development at the center. It is necessary not only to deal with long-standing traditional issues such as poor operation of special and differential treatment and insufficient technical assistance and capacity building, but also to deal with emerging issues such as digital trade, artificial intelligence, and green transformation, including incorporating development-focused investment facilitation and e-commerce agreements into the WTO legal framework as soon as possible.