Legal Regulation On Region Trade Agreement (RTA) Under Multilateral Trade System (MTS)

As globalization prevails in the world, regionalization is attracting more and more attention. The world economy is developing on dual tracks of "multilateralism" and "regionalism". Though scholars have different views on the nature of their relationship, a consensus has been reached, which is only under an effective regulation system, can regional trade agreements make their contribution to the multilateral system. How to harmonize these two systems is the key question that this paper going to answer and the author's views are explained as follows:I. The concept of RTA. The history and the current development features of RTA.II. The relationship between RTA and MTS. The positive and negative effects of RTA on MTS.III. The detailed rules of the legal regulation on RTA in GATT1947 and its later development in WTO. This part is mainly focused on Article XXIV in GATT and its amendment.IV. The ineffectiveness of current regulation and reasons for that. Ambiguity of rules is the main cause for this ineffectiveness. Besides, RTA have challenged MTS in such key fields as jurisdiction and rules of origin.V. The current Doha round negation on RTA and its latest development. The international community has asserted its determination in putting RTA under its regulation.VI. The relationship between RTA and China. How would China confront the issue of regionalization? The positive and negative effects of regionalization on China are carefully studied in this part. The last part set proposals as follows: keep foothold in the Asia-pacific region, strengthen its relations with ASEAN countries and starting the process of establishing a FTA among the mainland, Hongkong, Macau and Taiwan.