Summary: The WTO is front and center in much of the debate over trade policy toward China. There are questions about China’s compliance with the terms of its 2001 accession – a frequent target of government and private sector criticisms. There are charges that the WTO has proven useless in addressing Chinese violations of these terms, or that it is simply not equipped to do so. Some of the most hyperbolic commentary questions whether China should have ever been admitted to the WTO in the first place. What are the facts? How should China’s compliance or non-compliance with its obligations be fairly quantified and characterized? Can the WTO be used to address the areas where its compliance continues to lag? What is the WTO’s track-record in this regard? Might the U.S. make better use of the WTO in the current US-China trade impasse? Are there areas where the WTO can be reformed to better address challenges raised by China’s state-led economic model. Former chief judge of the WTO and two representatives from the American business community will help scope out the path ahead.
