The next head of the World Trade Organization faces an uphill struggle. As candidates line up to replace Roberto Azevêdo, the multilateral trade body is confronting a fundamental difficulty: the impulse towards liberalisation has faded across much of the world. Concerns about globalisation, whether economic, environmental or security-based, have risen and countries are retreating from openness over trade. Mutual mistrust between China and the US, as well as the EU and China, means that any further liberalising of trade is likely to be between regional blocs and coalitions of the willing rather than all members.
世界貿易組織(World Trade Organization)下一任總干事面臨一場艱難的斗爭。隨著候選人們排著隊準備接替現任總干事羅伯特?阿澤維多(Roberto Azevêdo)出任這一職務,這家多邊貿易機構正面臨一個根本困難:全球大部分地區邁向自由化的沖動已經消退。無論是出于經濟、環境還是安全的考慮,對全球化的擔憂上升了,各國正在改變貿易開放態度。中美之間及歐盟(EU)與中國之間互不信任,這意味著任何進一步的貿易自由化只可能發生在地區集團和自愿結成的聯盟之間,而不是所有成員國之間。