China’s Implementation of the Rulings of the World Trade Organization

Does China comply with its obligations at the World Trade Organization (WTO)? Is the WTO system effective at dealing with China? Doubt about China’s behavior and the effectiveness of the WTO has been growing in both the popular press as well as among some U.S. trade experts and officials. One way to evaluate these questions is to consider China’s reactions to WTO complaints brought against it. Through a review of these complaints, including China’s response and its compliance record when there is a ruling, Zhou provides the most comprehensive analysis on this issue to date. His book’s conclusion may surprise some people: China’s implementation of WTO rulings has not been perfect, but it has been as good as that of other trading nations. In addition, we will discuss China’s compliance with its WTO obligations more generally.

This forum tries to bring some objectivity to the analysis, and to help guide the United States and other countries in the ongoing debate about China’s participation in the world trading system.