Description
Context
China
is a key player in the multilateral trading system. As a member
of the G-20, and as one of the world's largest economies, China
has a special role to play in the context of current negotiations
and in the formulation of a future multilateral trading system
that advances the national interests of China and the interests,
more generally, of development and developing countries world-wide.
Securing
a sound outcome for development from ongoing negotiations in the
WTO Doha Round is a central preoccupation of trade policy-makers
in China and in other developing countries. Just as a focus on
specific negotiating issues - agriculture, non-agricultural market
access, services and so on - is crucial for China, so too is developing
and implementing a longer-term vision for reform of the WTO's
decision-making and governance to make it more responsive to the
interests of China and other developing countries.
Objectives
The
policy dialogue would seek to promote:
- Sharing of information and learning among leading scholars and
policy experts in Geneva, Oxford and China on issues relating
to governance of the multilateral trading system;
- Identifying ways to improve the voice and profile of Chinese
experts in global debates on the governance of the world trading
system and institutional reform of the WTO;
- Supporting dialogue on questions of the governance of the world
trading system for sustainable development; and
- Identifying leading research and articles for publication as
part of a set of joint Oxford-HEI series of working papers on
global economic governance and trade for development.
Format
The
meeting will take place over one-day and include around 20 participants
with the goal of ensuring an active dialogue between all meeting
participants.
Participation
We
envisage involving leading scholars, researchers, experts, policy-makers
and representatives of relevant government departments.
Outcome
The
meeting would contribute to a range of outcomes. Substantive outcomes
would include:
- Improved collaboration among leading scholars and practitioners
in China, Oxford and Geneva on key policy issues regarding global
economic governance and institutional reform of the world trading
system; and
- New or improved ideas on ways to improve the contribution of
the trading system to sustainable development, to enhance its
accountability, and to better respond to the needs of China and
other developing countries.
