Entitled "Advancing Arab Economies: From Strategic Accessions to Global Trade Integration", the 13th China Round Table highlighted the benefits of WTO membership for economic policy coherence, growth and development. With the aim of informing the strategies of other acceding economies, the event explored how accession has enabled Arab economies to reform their trade regimes and engage more effectively with the multilateral trading system. The challenges that members faced immediately following their accession were also examined.
A high-level session celebrated the 25th anniversary of Oman's WTO accession and recognized the challenges that Oman faced on its path to accession, as well as the contributions that Oman has made to the multilateral trading system.
Opening the Round Table, Oman's Undersecretary for Commerce and Industry, Dr Saleh bin Said Masan, said: "Since joining the WTO in November 2000, Oman has been an active and committed member of the multilateral trading system. It has always regarded membership of the WTO as a strategic step towards enhancing its role in the global economy and deepening its co-operation with countries around the world."
Highlighting the importance of the China Round Table in fostering cooperation among nations, Dr Saleh added: "It seems timely to consider efforts to restore the central role of the WTO as a platform for resolving global trade issues. The WTO should serve the interests of all countries, regardless of their level of economic development, in line with the principles enshrined in its founding agreement.
In addition to acceding economies, participants at the Round Table included the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states – namely, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – and representatives of the International Trade Centre (ITC), United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Bank Group. Comoros, which became a WTO member in August 2024, also participated in the Round Table.
China's Vice Minister of Commerce, Mr Yan Dong, said: "The 13th China Round Table is a unique opportunity to discuss how to help developing countries speed up accessions and benefit from the multilateral trading system. … As the global landscape undergoes rapid changes unseen in a century, accelerating accessions of developing countries, especially LDCs, to the WTO, and better integrating them into the multilateral trading system is conducive not only to their economic resilience and recovery, but also to the vitality and representation of the WTO."
WTO Deputy Director-General Xiangchen Zhang said: "Oman's journey since 2000 shows how the multilateral trading system can underpin bold diversification and outward-looking reform."
Underscoring the relevance of the 13th China Round Table, DDG Zhang noted: "These round tables have supported many acceding countries in their journeys, and we expect that they will continue to make further progress for the rest of the year. Eight members of the Arab League remain outside the WTO and seven of them have been negotiating, on average, for twenty years. … These numbers speak of untapped potential – potential that accession can unlock by anchoring domestic reforms, attracting investment and fostering regional integration. … Pragmatic solutions, creative flexibilities and targeted technical assistance can minimize years of negotiations and deliver concrete development dividends."
The Round Table addressed the state of play of current accession negotiations in the context of preparations for the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14), to be held in March 2026, with Ethiopia and Uzbekistan stating that they intend to complete their accession processes by MC14. The discussion also highlighted the need to better leverage technical assistance and capacity-building activities to support both accession efforts and new members' participation in the WTO.
Participants also explored the role of the private sector in facilitating WTO accession and promoting regional integration. A dedicated session on Oman's economic diplomacy provided insights into how trade can contribute to economic resilience, long-term peace and sustainable prosperity.
Acceding governments and interested WTO members meet annually at the China Round Table to discuss the integration of new economies into the rules-based multilateral trading system. Of the 22 members of the League of Arab States, 14 are WTO members, seven are currently undertaking the accession process, and one has held observer status in WTO ministerial conferences since 2005.
More information on the 13th China Round Table is available here.
The China Round Tables are among the activities of the China Programme, which supports and finances activities under six pillars:
More information on WTO accessions can be found here.