The relationship between trade liberalization and biodiversity conservation has become one of the most important issues in the rapidly developing trade and environment interface. The Doha Ministerial Declaration adopted at the Fourth WTO Ministerial Conference in November 2001 launched a new round of multilateral trade negotiations. It reaffirms the sustainable development agenda in the multilateral trading system, and specifically includes trade and environment in the single undertaking negotiation process with the aim of enhancing the mutual supportiveness of trade and environment. Some of the negotiating issues on trade and environment (in particular, the relevant provisions in the Agreement on Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)) and other negotiating issues (market access, subsidies, fisheries and agriculture, etc.) are of significance to biodiversity conservation.

Meanwhile, various international and regional negotiations related to conservation and the sustainable use of biological resources also have increasingly addressed trade issues, such as access and benefit-sharing; trade in genetically modified organisms; traditional knowledge; trade in endangered species; and alien invasive species, among others.

With a large share of global biological resources located in the South, the issue of trade, biodiversity and sustainable development is of particularly importance to developing countries. The inclusion of environment in the Doha Round of negotiations and the need to integrate trade and biodiversity conservation policies at international, regional and domestic levels have significantly increased the need for capacity building for trade, biodiversity and sustainable development in developing countries.

China is a country with rich biodiversity resources. Its economy has been developing rapidly. China officially joined the WTO in November 2001. With WTO membership, it is expected that China will accelerate its economic integration into the world economy. Like other developing countries, China needs to address the challenges, opportunities and gaps between trade and biodiversity conservation and strengthen its trade and biodiversity policies. As a new member and likely a significant player in the WTO, China could play a leading role in the development of the WTO rules governing the relationship between trade and the environment in general, and those governing trade, biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in particular in the Doha Round of trade negotiations. Increasing awareness and understanding of the relationship between trade in biological resources and sustainable development, and enhancing capacity to deal with issues related to this relationship will help China make a meaningful contribution to the upcoming environmental negotiations in the WTO.