1. China’s accession to the WTO is a great historical event symbolizing the beginning of a new stage of the nation’s process of reforming and opening to the world. During the new stage, two remarkable changes will take place in China’s economic development. One is the transition of the Government’s roles in the national economic management. The Government will no longer try to plan, control, intervene in and participate in the operation of market forces. Instead, it will adapt its functions to the objective law of market operation and work as a regulator as well as a service provider for the national economic activities. The other change lies in the patterns of reform and open-up programs. China’s open-up, which used to be passively pushed along by the drive to reform, will henceforth urge the nation to further reform, because the open-up measures mainly based on governmental directives will give way to rules and regulations that are formulated completely according to the necessity for an open market.

Under the new circumstances, therefore, we shall altogether get rid of our shallow understanding and metaphysical approach represented by the so-called “opportunity or challenge” theory and the “pros and cons” analysis. Instead, our study and research on the WTO-related subjects should feature the advance of times.

What we require in order to intensify the popularization and dissemination of general rules and fundamental knowledge of market economy by taking advantage of WTO study is not impulsive hustle and bustle, but perpetual and strenuous efforts.

The WTO accession is a new starting point, so China should further its drive to reform and open up, adapt its strategies to the new tendency of economic globalization, and play a more active role in world affairs. The continued furtherance of all-round open-up at various levels and in different sectors will inject powerful energy and fresh life into China’s modernization and sustainable development.

To enter the WTO is not for pursuing a fashion, but for ushering in a new age when a perfect, well-developed and prosperous socialist market economy will be realized through the promotion of market-oriented reform and open-up.
     2. China’s top leaders have attached great importance to the education and training of WTO specialists. On February 25, at the conclusion of the seminar entitled “The International Situation and WTO”, President Jiang Zeming definitely noted, “It is necessary to enhance our efforts to train and absorb talents, so that we may build up a contingent of professionals who are familiar with WTO rules and regulations. This will be the key job among all the tasks we are going to undertake after our country has accessed to the WTO. In a sense, the need for talented people is the most rigid challenge we are faced with. We must intensify the training of specialists, and especially concentrate our efforts on training badly-needed experts who are knowledgeable about WTO rules and regulations, such as experts in management, international trade, negotiation and anti-dumping investigation. It is imperative that we make serious efforts to train personnel specialized in WTO affairs. We should take special measures to intensify our work in this regard and to train and absorb talents in the said area without any delay. The State Council must promote the establishment of functional bodies dealing with the matters that possibly accompany China’s WTO accession, and, in the meantime, expand the population of personnel sophisticated about WTO affairs. It is proper for us to map out short-term programs designed to train people who have a good knowledge of WTO rules for different parts of the country, different governmental departments, and different enterprises. Besides, we should invariably take it into our consideration to develop and cultivate their knowledge constantly.”
    3. After China’s WTO accession, business schools of higher education throughout the country need to adjust or renew their development strategies. WTO research will create for those schools a major breakthrough in heightening their popularity and gaining their academic influence as well as offer them a good opportunity to bring their strengths in scientific research to a new higher tier.
Today, some governmental bodies handling WTO-related matters are already in operation: under the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation are the Department of World Trade Organization, the Bureau of Fair Trade for Imports & Exports, and the Bureau of WTO Notification and Consultation, and the State Economic and Trade Commission has set up the Investigation Bureau of Industry Injury.
Meanwhile, some educational institutions have formed WTO research establishments: the WTO Research Center of the University of Foreign Economic Relations and Trade, WTO Law School of Wuhan University, the Research Center of the WTO and China’s Economic Development jointly run by the Fudan University and Hong Kong University. Besides, the University of Politics in Taiwan has established the Research Center on Laws of WTO and International Economic Organizations.
   4. Ever since 1995 when the World Trade Organization took over the organizational structure of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, it has been serving in the world community as something like the “Economic United Nations” owing to its increasingly important role in coordination, regulation and promotion in the process of the globalization of the economy, the integration of policies, and the organization of regional economies. One after another, both developed and developing WTO members have set up ministerial or ambassadorial agencies direct in charge of WTO affairs: the Office of U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) founded in 1974, the Department of Multi-lateral Trade Negotiation of Australian Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the recently established Indonesian WTO Affairs Department. Meanwhile, some famous universities and first-class research institutions are preparing to organize or expand societies or offices to be engaged or already engaged in WTO study and research.
    5. WTO Shanghai Research Center set up by the Shanghai Institute of Foreign Trade (SIFT) is the oldest agency in China that specializes in the research of GATT/WTO affairs, so it takes the lead both nation-wide and worldwide in WTO research and enjoys high popularity. The results achieved through its research programs have been fully recognized and highly appreciated by the top officials of some of China’s central governmental departments concerned. Based on the existing research strengths of the said Center, the Society of WTO Research and Development (SWORD) established in 2001 is an academic organization engaged in the research and development of the strategic implications of China’s WTO accession. Through one year’s efforts in constantly enhancing relations and exchange with individuals and organizations of the same interest both at home and abroad, the SWORD has won initial success. The first batch of R & D projects have undergone experts’ examination and are regarded as concluded, while the second batch are now under way. In general, the advantages that the School of WTO Research and Education enjoys can be listed as follows:
    1. The Secretariat of the WTO Shanghai Research Center is based in SIFT, some of whose teachers are the main leaders and research workers of the said center. Besides, the Center enjoys prestige in the area of WTO research.
   2. The SWORD is entrusted with the coordination of all the WTO research programs undertaken by the SIFT teaching staff.
   3. The SIFT boasts a large number of teachers who have a good knowledge of foreign languages, cherish a special interest in WTO research and have translated quite a number of WTO documents and publications.
    4. The SIFT’s WTO FOCUS is the only journal published in China specially devoted to WTO research.
The foundation of the School of WTO Research and Education will contribute to the re-organization of the SIFT teachers engaged in WTO research, further promotion of the SIFT’s popularity outside and within China, and the preparation for applying for the WTO specialty with the conferment of the master’s degree and doctor’s degree, thereby reflecting the insight and foresight of the decision-makers of the SIFT.