Initiated in July 2011 under the WTO's Aid for Trade initiative, the China Programme aims to help least-developed countries (LDCs) further integrate into the global economy by supporting their participation in WTO activities and helping acceding LDCs in their WTO membership negotiations.

China and the WTO have renewed their memorandum of understanding for the programme on an annual basis since 2011. The programme forms part of the WTO's technical assistance and capacity-building activities, reflected in the WTO's Biennial Training and Technical Assistance Plans that members adopt in the Committee on Trade and Development every two years.

The China Programme provides financing to support:

• WTO internships for candidates from developing countries, LDC members and acceding LDCs
• annual round table meetings on WTO accession
• participation by capital-based LDC officials in WTO meetings
• South-South Dialogue on LDCs and Development
• LDC Trade Policy Review follow-up workshops.

More information can be found here.

DG Azevêdo said: “I welcome this new contribution from China. Through this programme, China supports the integration of LDCs into the global economy, including through accession to the WTO.”

China's WTO Ambassador, Xiangchen Zhang, said: “China has consistently been supporting the WTO’s Aid for Trade Initiative and has provided trade-related technical assistance to LDCs under the China Programme since its inception several years ago. We are renewing this programme to help LDCs better understand the current challenges the Organization is facing and improve their preparedness so as to better integrate into the multilateral trading system. We appreciate our cooperation with the Secretariat and look forward to the successful implementation of the renewed programme.”

Since 2011, China has contributed USD 3.2 million (approximately CHF 3.2 million) to this programme.