Experts call for greater coordination on industrial policy, global trade governance

Experts at a seminar in Geneva, Switzerland on Wednesday called for upholding the multilateral trading system and keeping industrial policies in line with World Trade Organization rules, urging greater use of multilateral forums to discuss how those rules could be improved.

The seminar themed "Coordination for Industrial Policy and Global Trade Governance" was held during the ongoing WTO Public Forum 2026.

Organized by Tsinghua University, the event drew more than 200 participants from WTO member governments, the private sector, academia and the media. They included experts and scholars from China, the United States and Europe, as well as a representative from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, or UNCTAD.

Bai Chongen, dean of the School of Economics and Management at Tsinghua University, said industrial policies remain necessary to address market failures but should be regularly evaluated and adjusted.