China wins a seat on WTO's top court

Zhang Yuejiao was sworn in to replace one of the two outgoing judges in the WTO. She will serve a four-year term on the Appellate Body - the highest court in the WTO - along with seven other judges. She also will be a first Chinese judge to serve in such capacity for the world organization. Japan's Shotaro Oshima is also reported sworn in.

Strangely, back in November 2007 when Zhang was nominated for this role, Taiwan's representatives (from Chen Shui-bian's administration) attempted to block it. The BBC reported US, Japan, and other key members were taken "aback" by Taiwan's move.

We have written about Asia's rise in the past. For example, as regional trade agreements allow Asia or Europe to trade more freely, world bodies like WTO could become less relevant. For WTO then to compete in importance, it must guarantee representation also by key economies of the world, namely, China and Japan.