When Gao Hucheng, China’s commerce minister, stepped up to the podium at the World Trade Organisation meeting in Bali this week for his opening address it was full of diplomatic language hailing multilateralism and the central role of the WTO.
But buried in his speech was one seemingly-benign line that startled some of the assembled ministers and senior trade officials. “We’re also open-minded towards other multilateral – and plurilateral – negotiations,” Mr Gao said.
In those jargony words lay official confirmation of an important shift in China’s trade policy. After years of defending the multilateral WTO against the perceived threat of plurilateral deals negotiated by some members, China was considering shifting sides.
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