While China's economic growth brings both opportunities and challenges, people should focus more on the opportunities, Sun Zhenyu, Chinese ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO), said in Geneva on Tuesday.

Addressing a forum on "China's role in global trade governance," Sun said China had made great contributions to world economy and world trade since it joined the WTO in 2001.

He said China's total import increased from US$243 billion in 2001 to US$791 billion in 2006, an annual increase of 45 percent.

In the same period, China's import from other developing countries increased from US$123 billion to US$472 billion, an annual increase of 56 percent.

In 2006, China's contribution to the world economic growth was around 25 percent.

China's huge import of cotton has also helped the poor cotton farmers in Africa, who have suffered a lot due to huge subsidies by developed countries on cotton which heavily depressed the price.

The two-day forum was organized by the Geneva-based International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development, an independent organization committed to making trade policy supportive of sustainable development through dialog, information and research.

With an audience of some 200 trade officials and experts, Sun said China's current economic development can be sustained if the country really adopts a scientific approach of development and put the people's needs in the first place.

China also needs to raise the efficiency of energy consumption and give great priority to environment protection, he said.

"Actually, President Hu Jintao has set the roadmap for a sustainable development at the recent Party Conference," he added.

Sun stressed that China was fully dedicated to the multilateral trading system and would continue to work very closely with all other WTO members to further strengthen the organization and improve its work.

China will also continue to work constructively with other WTO members, particularly developing members, to try to achieve a balanced result of the Doha Round trade negotiations and bring a win-win situation for development.

According to the ambassador, China shares with many other developing countries the same experience in its past history, so it is only natural for China to show its sympathy and support to the legitimate requests and positions of other developing countries, particularly LDCs (Lease Developed Countries) and SVEs (Small and Vulnerable Economies).

"China will continue to provide technical assistance to LDCs and other developing countries, particularly in the program of aid for trade, and provide duty-free, quota-free treatment for LDCs which have diplomatic relations with China," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2007)