China's Attitude to Multilateralism in International Economic Law and Governance:

This paper argues that China’s attitude to multilateral trade is unclear. Moreover, China assumes little responsibility to maintain international order in global economic governance. In other words, China should hide less behind the status of a developing country and stand up to its own ambition to new leadership. For example, China seems to go against “traditional” powers (mainly the U.S.), and tends to focus on South-South regionalism.1 The results of the July 2008 World Trade Organization (WTO) miniministerial conference, composed of a trade G-7,2 are evidence of this. At the miniministerial, WTO members’ latest attempt to salvage a deal in the Doha round broke down. Import-sensitive China and India were pitted against the U.S.’s demands for predictable market access for farm products.3