China’s first school on trade negotiations opens in college

SHANGHAI — A Shanghai university has opened China’s first international school to train the country’s future trade negotiators.

The Shanghai University of International Business and Economics inaugurated the School of Trade Negotiations, China’s first trade negotiation school, on Oct 11.

The honorary dean of the school is Zhou Hanmin, a renowned national political adviser and law expert in Shanghai.

The school will produce graduates in five areas, which cover national representatives specializing in bilateral or regional agreement negotiations, national representatives for multilateral negotiations in international organizations, negotiators employed by international organizations, international dispute mediators and arbitrators, as well as lawyers specializing in international law.

Sixteen years after China joined WTO, the country has transformed from a mere follower of international trade rules to one of the rule-makers, Zhou says.

“China urgently needs professional talent with a global vision, who are familiar with China’s national conditions and adept in foreign languages, international rules and negotiation skills,” he says.

There are 450 Chinese employees in organizations affiliated to the United Nations, accounting for only 1 percent of the total employees, and many of them only hold entry-level positions.