China, Ghana and 24 other countries on Monday became the first signatories to the United Nations Convention on Negotiable Cargo Documents at a signing ceremony in Accra, capital of Ghana.

Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Jiang Chenghua signed the convention on behalf of the Chinese government at the ceremony.

Jiang said the institutional innovation fills a gap in international rules and provides an international legal framework for financing transactions involving cross-border transport documents.

It will effectively ease the financial pressure on enterprises engaged in international trade, reduce transaction costs in cross-border overland trade, and inject new momentum into the high-quality development of global trade, he added.

China is ready to work with all signatory states to complete their domestic approval procedures as soon as possible, Jiang said, expressing China's hope that more countries will join the convention so that its benefits can reach more nations and contribute to global trade prosperity and the well-being of people around the world.

Anna Joubin-Bret, secretary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), said the convention would help reduce uncertainty, enhance resilience, facilitate trade finance, support trade digitalization and improve the efficiency of international supply chains.

She thanked the Chinese government for bringing the convention project to UNCITRAL. "Since the adoption by the United Nations General Assembly, we have greatly benefited from China's steadfast support to the convention and its efforts to promote the broader understanding of this framework," she said.

Around 400 representatives from more than 60 countries and regions attended the signing ceremony.

Initiated and spearheaded by China, the convention was adopted by the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in December 2025.