THE PRACTICE OF MEDIATION AND NON-LITIGATION IN THE DISPUTE SETTLEMENT MECHANISM BETWEEN CHINA AND THE WTO

This paper examines the application of mediation and other non-litigation practices that China applies in its dispute resolution approach in the World Trade Organization (WTO). With the emergence of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) as a major trend in global trade governance, China has started to pay greater attention to the importance of mediation as one of the ways to encourage cooperation, avoid confrontation, and enhance the efficiency of trade dispute resolution. The study will review the effectiveness of these practices through analysing their congruency with the Chinese focus on harmony and how they have contributed to the operation of the WTO dispute settlement system. The study relies on the records of WTO cases, Chinese policy documents, and legal scholarship, as the study design consists of a systematic literature review and thematic analysis based on a qualitative research design. The results indicate that ADR system in China is more effective in terms of dispute resolution and it also adds to the diversified and relationship-based WTO system. Such observations indicate the changing nature of mediation in the international trade disputes and suggest larger implications to the future of ADR in the international economic governance.