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China

China actively seeks bilateral trade and investment deals outside of the World Trade Organisation. The government has put priority on forging agreements with neighbouring countries of Asia, but also many other countries on whom it relies for minerals, energy, food, infrastructure or geopolitical support.

Beijing has signed bilateral trade agreements with ASEAN (2002), Hong Kong (2002), Macau (2003), Thailand (2003), Niger (2005), Chile (2006), Pakistan (2006), New Zealand (2008), Peru (2008), Singapore (2008), Costa Rica (2010), Taiwan (2010), Switzerland (2013), Iceland (2014), Australia (2015), Korea (2015), Georgia (2017), Maldives (2017) and the Eurasian Economic Union (2018). China is also a party to 127 bilateral investment treaties.

China is currently in bilateral negotiations with the European Union (investment), the Gulf Cooperation Council, Israel, Mauritius, Moldova, New Zealand (to upgrade the current agreement), Norway, Pakistan (upgrade), Singapore (upgrade), the Southern African Customs Union and Sri Lanka, as well as with Japan and Korea for a possible a three-way deal. Further down the horizon, there is talk of eventual negotiations with Canada, Chile (upgrade), Colombia, Fiji, Mexico, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Palestine, Panama, Peru (upgrade), Switzerland (upgrade) and Uruguay.

Regionally, China has proposed a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, an initiative that would encompass the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation nations, in direct rivalry with US-led projects like the Trans-Pacific Partnership. But that intitiative is currently on hold.

China is currently part of the talks on a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). RCEP is a mega-regional trade agreement proposed by the Association of South East Asian Nations with its FTA partners : China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.

If concluded, it would give Chinese corporations market access to India — in goods, services and investment — that it does not have through its own FTAs.

China also sees RCEP as a key element of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), an infrastructure project meant to link Asia with Europe, passing through Africa, and with an extension to Latin America.

China is also using the BRI to push more countries to sign free trade agreements to consolidate the trade and investment leverage that the project opens up.

last update: June 2018
photo: Eddie / CC BY-ND 2.0


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FTA moves to gain momentum
China will step up efforts to forge more bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements in the Asia-Pacific region to reduce the impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership pact.
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The second meeting of the Maldives-China Joint Commission for Trade and Economic Cooperation ended with the signing of the MOU between both countries to begin discussions of the Maldives-China free trade agreement.
Foreign investment favors FTZs
China’s eastern and coastal areas are again favorite destinations for foreign investors as some cities have set up pilot free trade zones
Chinese premier expects progress in China-Fiji FTA feasibility study
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday asked for progress in the joint feasibility study of a China-Fiji Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
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China and the Eurasian Economic Union will start negotiations on an economic partnership agreement as soon as possible, Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said Friday.
Chilean ambassador: FTA talk with China to cover e-commerce
Chile’s ambassador to China said the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) talks during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s visit to Latin America will cover several new areas, including e-commerce, government purchases, and financial services.
China is a “major driver” of environmental degradation in Latin America
China’s increased trade and investment in Latin America over the past decade has resulted in powerful social and environmental impacts such as job losses and pollution.
China, Israel to begin FTA talks
China will kick off negotiations on a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) with Israel this year, the Ministry of Commerce said Tuesday.
China, Georgia start feasibility study on FTA
China and Georgia have agreed to set up a joint working group to study the feasibility of a free trade agreement, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce.

    Links


  • Belt and Road Initiative and human rights
    FIDH’s webpage that aims to collect and share information regarding the human rights and environmental impacts of China’s Belt and Road Initiative projects in recipient countries across Asia.
  • China FTA Network
    Official website on China’s FTAs, maintained by MOFCOM