On June 13, 2015, during the World Customs Organization (WCO) Council Sessions, Chinese candidate Mr. Liu Ping, Senior Customs representative, Permanent Mission of China to the World Trade Organization, was elected as Director of Tariff and Trade Affairs Directorate after two rounds of fierce competition.

China joined the WCO in 1983. The WCO, based in Brussels,Belgium, is the sole governmental Customs organization in the world and has been playing a significant role in regulating and coordinating customs systems of its members, strengthening international cooperation of customs affairs and securing the safety and facilitation of international trade. Today, the WCO has 180 members, representing approximately 98% of the world trade. Responsible for classification, valuation and rules of origin matters, the Directorate of Tariff and Trade Affairs is one of the three core directorates of the WCO Secretariat and is also the first directorate established by the WCO to deal with traditional customs matters. As one of the top five senior officials of the WCO, director of Tariff and Trade Affairs Directorate is elected by all its members and serves for a five-year term.