CivAtlasHistory reader

December 11, 2001 CE / East Asia

China Joins the World Trade Organization

After lengthy negotiations, China became the World Trade Organization's 143rd member, integrating further into multilateral trade rules and global production networks.

Read on the map and timeline
Era
Modern World
Region
East Asia
Theme
Exchange
An imagined early twenty-first-century city: a tram passes a plaza where people walk, cycle and gather by trees and streetside shops.
An AI-generated imagined historical panorama suggests everyday life. It is not evidence for reconstructing a specific event or archaeological site.

The story

On December 11, 2001, China formally joined the World Trade Organization as its 143rd member. Accession involved commitments on tariffs, market access, trade institutions, and other matters, providing a multilateral framework of rules for China's participation in international trade and prompting adjustments to related domestic institutions. China's connections with global supply chains subsequently deepened, while trade disputes and disagreements over the implementation of rules continued. WTO accession was not the beginning of reform and opening up, nor did it mean that all trade restrictions disappeared immediately. Beijing represents the member government on the map; the WTO headquarters and related international meetings are not located in Beijing.

Elsewhere in the world

China's production, investment, and consumption became more closely connected with world markets, affecting the industrial division of labor in East Asia and other regions.

Dates and precision

December 11, 2001 CE Documented date

Positioned by the documented year, month or day; missing months and days are not inferred.

Representative map location

Beijing

Beijing represents China’s member government. The meeting that approved accession took place in Doha; the WTO headquarters is in Geneva.

Representative coordinates · 39.914°, 116.394°

Coordinates locate a representative point for the story. They do not mean the event happened only here and do not represent historical borders.

Bibliography

  • Ministry of Commerce, WTO/FTA Advisory Network | China’s Path to WTO Membership
  • World Trade Organization | The 20th Anniversary of China's WTO Accession: Date of Formal Accession

Sources are listed as bibliography titles, without external links. A reference does not mean every sentence or interpretation has been independently verified.

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Read this era · Modern WorldRead this region · East Asia

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