World Trade Organization (WTO) Director-General Roberto Azevedo (Front) speaks at a press conference after a two-day meeting of the WTO's General Council in Geneva, Switzerland, on Dec. 10, 2019. Roberto Azevedo said here Tuesday that as of Wednesday, the Appellate Body would be unable to hear new appeals. (Photo by Peter Kenny/Xinhua)

After the World Trade Organization (WTO) director-general's sudden announcement of his resignation in the midst of a global recession due to the pandemic, the Chinese public criticized the US' hegemonic attempt to manipulate the multilateral organization and interrupt its operations.  

Brazilian Roberto Azevedo, 62, announced his decision to WTO delegates on Thursday after having been on the post for seven years. His resignation takes effect on August 31, one year before his term should end. 

Azevedo said the decision was made as "We are doing nothing now — no negotiations, everything is stuck. There's nothing happening in terms of regular work," media reported.

WTO's key function of settling cross-border commercial disputes has been paralyzed since December 2019 after the US blocked the appointment of members to the Appellate Body, leaving the panel with not sufficient members to hear appeals. 

Chinese net users paid great attention to the major change for a crucial international organization, and slammed the US for interfering in WTO's operations, directly or indirectly.  

The US scheme is a long-term work to remove the constraints of international law and principles. It has been obstructing judges in the panel getting reappointed since 2017 until the body was technically abolished for not having enough members, netizen Covo_Jerana posted on China's Twitter-like Sina Weibo. 

All other countries and regions could accept the negotiation framework, but the US could not, even though the organization was established upon its own proposal decades ago, another Weibo user said. 

"When the US feels like it's losing under the rules, and cannot change the rules, it tosses the chessboard," a Weibo user said. 

Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations of the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times on Friday that the US abandoned multilateralism as it can no longer maneuver those organizations to authorize actions in favor of its national interests. 

The US formed multilateral organizations, including the WTO and UN, when it was the dominant world power and had exceptional freedom acting through these organizations. When its superiority declined, the Trump administration chose to leave such organizations. It did not open a window for reform as it knew reform would not take place according to its will, Li said. 

As the pandemic has led to tightened trade policies in various countries, such a personnel change and expected difficulty in seeking a successor will further strike the world economy, analysts said. 

Li noted the US, by upholding its hegemonic mindset and turning its back on the multilateral system, has been adding to uncertainty in an already unstable world system, economically and politically.