Beijing WTO Affairs Center

Beijing WTO Affairs Center is dedicated to advising and assisting private and public institutes on economic and legal affairs in China related to World Trade Organization (WTO). It provides relevant information on WTO regulations to foreign companies doing business in China or Chinese firms and government units engaged in international business. It also organizes regular training sessions on specific topics and international exchanges. Approved by the Office for the Committee for Beijing Municipal Organizational Structure , the Center was established in September 2001 upon China's accession to the WTO, to meet rising needs for business services. The Center is under the jurisdiction of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce, although its establishment enjoyed strong support from the Ministry of Commerce of China (previously known as the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.)

The mission of the Beijing WTO Affairs Center is to assist both the Chinese and Beijing municipal governments in promoting to Chinese enterprises familiarity with and exercise of the WTO knowledge and rules. The Center aims to expand the scope of economic and trade cooperation with other countries so as to advance the economic development of the capital city of Beijing as well as China in general. Based in Beijing, the center serves enterprises throughout Northern China.

There are over 20 full-time staffers at the Beijing WTO Affairs Center. Its core team is composed of professionals, researchers and overseas returnees holding Doctorial and Master's degrees from well-known universities in China and abroad. Our staff is experienced in such topics as WTO and foreign-related economic affairs, research and consultancy on legal affairs, training on relevant topics, information services, hosting of international forums and international exchanges. Beijing WTO Affairs Center is fast becoming the leading think-tank, research institute and consultancy on WTO affairs in China.

Highlights of Achievements by the Beijing WTO Affairs Center:

• The Center is undertaking the training project “ WTO Senior Professional Talents Training Class of Beijing City ”, part of the Execution Plan conferred by the Committee of Organization, CPC Beijing Municipal Committee ; Beijing Municipal Beijing Municipal Bureau of Personnel and Beijing Municipal Bureau of Commerce.

• The Center is also undertaking the “Train the University WTO Teaching Staff in China” training program entrusted by the Ministry of Education of China, as well as the “the Advanced Class on National Agricultural Standardization” conferred by the Ministry of Personnel of China.

• The Center offered a legal opinion on the draft of the Foreign Trade Law of the People's Republic of China, 75% of which was adopted by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in the final version of the law.

• The Center pioneered studies on strategies for Chinese local governments during the transitional period of China's Entry into WTO by preparing “The Action Plan Programme for Beijing in the Transition Period after China's Entry into the WTO”. This study attracted wide attention, including such leaders as Jia Qinglin, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and Liu Qi, the Secretary of the CPC Beijing Municipal Committee and member of the Political Bureau.

• The Center annually hosts the “WTO & China: Beijing International Forum”. Keynote speakers for the past five years have included Vice Premier Wu Yi and other top Chinese government officials; Director General of the WTO, Dr. Supachai Panitchpakdi; business executives of multinational companies and scholars and researchers from respected institutions.

• The Center maintains good relations with the Ministry of Commerce, the National Bureau of Intellectual Property Rights, the Secretariat of the World Trade Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization , the United Nations World Trade Point Federation, the World Bank, the Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva, the Monterey Institute of International Studies, reputable law firms in Europe and the top universities in China 。

• The Center is the only member in China of the International Trade Center, established jointly by the United Nations and the World Trade Organization.

• The Center closely cooperates with the Beijing International Economic & Trade Research Institute, the Beijing Commercial Enterprises Legal Consultant Association, and the Beijing Pan-Asia Market Research Institute.

• The Center publishes the magazine Economic & Trade Update which is circulated in China and overseas, bearing independent edition ISSN 1672-2949 and CN11-5036/F numbers as issued by t he General Administration of Press and Publication.

• Our website www.bjwto.gov.cn is among the most visited sites on the Internet, as validated by such domestic and international search engines as Sohu, Sina and Google. It is also the leading website of its type based on clicking rate, as validated by the China Internet Information Center

Address ： Beijing WTO Affairs Center

6,ChaoYang Park, Xili Nanqu, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100026, China.

Telephone ： 86-10- 58260961

Facsimile ： 86-10- 58260962

Email ： office@bjwto.gov.cn

Website: www.bjwto.gov.cn