To support the Chinese government’s participation in WTO reform, the China Institute for WTO Studies (CIWTO) of WTO Chair at UIBE and WTO Chair at Shanghai University of International Business and Economics (SUIBE) jointly organized a seminar and awarding ceremony for paper-calling on WTO Reform and Innovation. The call for paper titled with "I Propose a Strategy for WTO Reform" and received proposals from teachers and students across universities to contribute ideas for China’s role in WTO reform.  

On 10 April 2024, a seminar and awarding ceremony for paper-calling on WTO Reform and Innovation was held at SUIBE’s Gubei Campus. Attendees included Han Yong, Director General of the Department of WTO Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce; Hong Xiaodong, former Director General of the Department of WTO Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce; Wang Chen, a Division Director the Department of WTO Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce; and Wang Rongming, President of SUIBE. Other notable participants were Zhang Yiguo, Deputy Party Secretary and Secretary of Discipline Inspection at SUIBE, and Huang Jianzhong, Director of the WTO Asia Pacific Training Center and WTO Chair Host at SUIBE. More than 100 experts, scholars, and representatives from over 10 universities and research institutions, including Peking University, Renmin University of China, Fudan University, Xiamen University, and Jilin University, joined the event both online and offline for discussions and exchanges.

Han Yong, Director General of the Department of WTO Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce, congratulated the award-winning teachers and students and expressed gratitude to the academic community for its strong support of China’s participation in the World Trade Organization. He outlined the latest developments in WTO reform and encouraged continued academic contributions to guide the Chinese government’s active engagement in the reform process. Han also emphasized the role of the two universities as WTO Chairs in China, urging them to continue providing intellectual support for China’s WTO reform efforts.

This meeting, held under the guidance of the Department of WTO Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and co-organized by two WTO Chairs, also marked a significant outcome of the WTO Chairs Program undertaken by UIBE. The event successfully fostered dialogue between China’s business regulatory authorities and academia, serving as a vital demonstration of China’s research capacity in WTO-related issues.