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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


China-Swiss trade talks stall over rights issues – newspapers
Efforts by Switzerland to refresh its free trade agreement with China have stalled as Bern takes a more critical view of Beijing’s human rights record.
Panama President aims to restart China trade talks immediately
Panama President Laurentino Cortizo said he intends to immediately restart negotiations with China over a free trade agreement, after conversations were put on hold during the pandemic.
The FTA being put on hold worries the Chinese enterprises that intend to do businesses in Maldives
The fact that the China-Maldives Free Trade Agreement has not come into effect causes worries for the Chinese enterprises that intend to do businesses in Maldives, has stated the Chines Ambassador to Maldives.
China makes signing FTA a condition for helping Sri Lanka
While China has empathy for Sri Lanka’s economic plight and is keen on helping it, there ought to be “an early start of the negotiation and signing of the Free Trade Agreement, so as to enhance mutually beneficial cooperation.
Israel-China free trade deal to be accelerated after foreign ministers call
Israel hopes that by the end of 2022, it will have free trade agreements with several nations, including China and India.
Upgraded China-New Zealand FTA formally takes effective
China formally implemented the upgraded China and New Zealand free trade agreement (FTA) on Thursday in a move to promote deeper cooperation between the two sides.
Chinese companies exploit Indonesia’s natural resources under BRI Initiative
The operations of Chinese companies under the Belt and Road Initiative in Indonesia have become a hazard for the country’s environment, disturbing its ecological equilibrium resulting into population displacement.
Beijing for expediting Sino-Bangladesh FTA
The Chinese side said that after graduating from the LDC status, Bangladesh would face a lot of challenges like withdrawal of many trade-related facilities, and in that scenario FTA with China could be a major cushion to offset the shocks.
Serbia to sign free trade deal with China by year-end - Vucic
Serbia and China will sign a free trade agreement by the end of 2022 at the latest, Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic said.
China, Pakistan ink new CPEC agreement
China and Pakistan on Friday signed a new agreement on industrial cooperation as part of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) plan during Prime Minister Imran Khan’s on-going visit to Beijing.

    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