Joining the WTO: China goes global

On December 11, 2001, China's application to join the World Trade Organization (WTO) was finally accepted at the fourth ministerial conference of the organization. It took China 15 years to become the 143rd member of the WTO, marking a new phase for the country's opening-up process. Today, China, as the world's second biggest importer, is bringing concrete benefits to other countries around the world.