Background

The Protocol on the Accession of China to the Marrakech Agreement Establishing the World Organization (WTO) was signed in Doha, Qatar on November 11, 2001. The WTO, located in Geneva, Switzerland , was established on January 1, 1995. Its predecessor was the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).China was one of the 23 original contracting parties of GATT. China submitted its application for the resumption of its GATT contracing party status on July 10, 1986 and the negotiations started thereafter. After 15 years' efforts, China finally became a WTO Member. The accession of China marks the integration of China into the multilateral trading system and will have positive and far-reaching effects on China's reform and opening up as well as on the development of world economy and trade.

Top - Back