As the reform is a gradual process, new problems have kept emerging. For example, some countries attempt to bring climate change into multilateral trade negotiations. In this way, they have created new barriers for developing countries and slowed down the reform.

China regards addressing these new problems to safeguard the core interests of developing countries as one of the major obligations in its participation in the international trade system. This also creates opportunities for China to enhance its international influence.

In this regard, China's participation will help expand the reform from structural adjustments to specific issues such as fighting international trade protectionism.

China's struggle against trade protectionism and its positive attitude toward promoting trade liberalization will contribute to the development of a new, fairer trade system. As a major participant in the Doha Round talks, China has been making persistent efforts to push the talks toward a successful ending.

Domestic initiatives

While taking part in the international trade system reform, China has attached great importance to its domestic market. Faced with severe challenges in the multilateral trade system, the country has to shift its focus to domestic demand.

China has benefited greatly from economic globalization and trade liberalization. The great achievements it has made since reform and opening up in 1978 are, to a large part, due to global trade liberalization.

But China's traditional export-oriented economic development model is mainly supported by low labor costs. This makes China a frequent target of trade protectionism. China's efforts to change its economic development model not only are crucial for the country's sustainable development, but will also help promote adjustments in the global trade pattern.

Through this transition, China aims to change its current economic growth model featuring high resource input, high pollutant emissions and low efficiency into one featuring low input, low emissions and high efficiency.

Moreover, the further opening up of the Chinese market will provide a solid platform and a strong driving force for the development of free trade around the globe. Also, it will contribute to smooth progress in the reform of the international trade system.

The author is an assistant research fellow with the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies