BEIJING - The Ministry of Commerce on Sunday applauded the appointment of Yi Xiaozhun, China's permanent representative to the World Trade Organization (WTO), as deputy director-general of the organization.

Yi will be the first Chinese to play such a role.

This not only affirmed Yi's individual capabilities, but also the active and constructive role China and developing countries play in the WTO, said Yao Jian, a spokesman with the ministry.

China will continue to boost cooperation with the WTO, support the WTO director-general's work, safeguard multi-lateral trade mechanisms and participate in global governance, Yao said.

Yi has worked on international trade issues since the 1980s. He was China's vice minister of commerce before taking office in Geneva as China's permanent representative to the organization in 2011.

Yao also hailed the incoming WTO director-general's nominations of three other deputy directors-general.

Besides Yi, the next WTO director-general, Roberto Azevedo, appointed Germany's Karl-Ernst Brauner, Nigeria's Yonov Frederick Agah and the United States' David Shark.

The incoming director-general will begin his term on Sept 1 and his deputies on Oct 1.