WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (second from left) and China's Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the WTO Li Yongjie (second from right) explore the "Crafted Anew" Chinese contemporary craft exhibition at the WTO headquarters in Geneva on Tuesday. [Photo by Yang Yi/chinadaily.com.cn]

Under the theme "Opportunity China: Exploring and Sharing the Future", a series of Chinese cultural events opened on Tuesday at the World Trade Organization headquarters in Geneva during the WTO Public Forum 2026, showcasing traditional arts and contemporary cultural expression to over 4,000 Public Forum participants.

Hosted by the State Council Information Office of China and the Permanent Mission of China to the WTO, the program aims to incorporate cultural exchange into discussions on global trade and economic governance.

The series includes a cultural performance and reception on Tuesday, alongside a contemporary craft exhibition, which runs through Thursday.

Li Yongjie, China's permanent representative and ambassador to the WTO, speaks at the cultural performance and reception held as part of a series of Chinese cultural events themed "Opportunity China: Exploring and Sharing the Future" at WTO headquarters in Geneva on Tuesday. [Photo by Yang Yi/chinadaily.com.cn]

Addressing at the "Melody of Harmony" cultural performance and "Opportunity China" reception, China's Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the WTO Li Yongjie said harmony was the cultural theme underpinning the performance and "an important element in Chinese culture that guides us on what we intend to achieve".

"In Chinese culture, harmony arises not from imposing uniformity, but from embracing openness, inclusiveness, and mutual enrichment," she said. "This philosophy of harmony also profoundly shapes our view of the world, including our firm belief in multilateralism."

This year marks the 25th anniversary of China's accession to the WTO, a milestone in the country's reform and opening-up, Li said.

"Over the past 25 years, China has imported more than $45 trillion in goods and services from the rest of the world," she said. "For 15 consecutive years, China has supported the participation of the least-developed countries and the accession of new members through the WTO's China Program."

Looking ahead, China is "committed to creating even greater opportunities for the world through its huge market, sustained opening-up, innovation-driven development, and green and low-carbon transition".

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala speaks at the cultural performance and reception at WTO headquarters in Geneva on Tuesday. [Photo by Yang Yi/chinadaily.com.cn]

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the cultural performance and reception were "a fitting way" to conclude the opening day of the Public Forum, which highlighted "another aspect of trade and globalization — cultural exchange".

"Music and food have always accompanied trade," she said, noting that centuries before economists began thinking about trade and comparative advantage, goods, money, and ideas were already moving around the world.

She welcomed the event as a contribution by a WTO member to its largest outreach event and thanked the Chinese side for hosting the cultural program.

Okonjo-Iweala said she had walked through the craft exhibition themed "Crafted Anew" and encouraged guests to visit it. The exhibition showcases contemporary products and designs rooted in Chinese cultural traditions, including cultural and creative products from China's Palace Museum, opera-themed designs, porcelain, silver jewelry and Miao embroidery. Visitors can also explore Chinese culture through virtual reality experiences.

WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (fourth from right) and China's Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the WTO Li Yongjie (sixth from left) pose for a photo with exhibitors and performers at WTO headquarters in Geneva on Tuesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The cultural performance celebrates the diversity of Chinese culture through opera, traditional instrumental music, and folk choral singing and dance. Woven through the program is the concept of harmony, reflecting the idea that cultures can thrive together.

This year's WTO Public Forum, themed "Powering the Future", brings together 4,600 registered participants for 113 sessions to discuss the future of the global trading system at a challenging time for international trade. The forum will run through Thursday.

The "Melody of Harmony" cultural performance features Peking Opera, local opera from Fuzhou in East China's Jiangxi province, traditional Chinese instrumental music, folk choral singing and dance, and regional Guiqin music. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Guests enjoy a cultural performance and reception held as part of a series of Chinese cultural events themed "Opportunity China: Exploring and Sharing the Future" at WTO headquarters in Geneva on Tuesday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]