Trade office back to handle WTO disputes.

The Ministry of Commerce announced the re-establishment of the International Trade Negotiations Office on Aug.11, amid worries that the country will be challenged with a new wave of trade remedy cases worldwide. "The office aims to help strengthen the capability of the Chinese government on coordinating trade-related negotiations," ministry spokesman Yao Jian told China Daily. The office will be in charge of "negotiations concerning trade conflicts and multilateral and bilateral regional trade cooperation with China", the ministry said. Authorities are also considering launching a package of measures in the second half of this year to stimulate imports and balance foreign trade, it said. The latest moves followed a growing trade surplus in the past few months, which fueled worries that the country will have to face more and tougher trade protectionist measures launched particularly by the United States and European Union.

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