The WTO is supposed to govern global trade relations, but that promise is increasingly under strain. Unilateral tariffs, a paralysed dispute settlement mechanism and deepening rivalry between major powers have pushed the organisation into deadlock, with reform now firmly on the agenda. What is really behind the WTO's current crisis? How can China and the EU be characterised within it? What should be kept in mind when advancing reform? And where does that leave the rest of the world, particularly the Global South?
In this episode of the European Guanxi Podcast, host Kiara Link is joined by Clara Weinhardt – ENSURED researcher and Associate Professor of International Relations at Maastricht University. Together they diagnose the WTO's deadlock, contextualise China's role within the institution and consider how the EU and China might shape trade relations under the "geoeconomic turn", as growing economic uncertainty pushes both powers to rethink their strategies. Throughout, Clara draws on a Global South perspective to complement the Sino-European picture, unpacking the dynamics of multilateral trade governance from that angle and beyond.
The conversation builds directly on Clara's ENSURED work on WTO reform, alongside Michal Parízek and Jayati Srivastava.
Read the ENSURED research behind this conversation:
- Revitalising and Reforming the World Trade Organization in an Age of Geopolitics
- Expanding the WTO's Scope in a Shifting Geopolitical Landscape
- The WTO Between Two Worlds: Strategic Choices for EU Action
Listen to the full episode on YouTube, Spotify, and Substack.
Photo: WTO / Flickr
.jpg)
.png)
