China has free trade agreement negotiations with 27 countries. These include: the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the China-Japan-Korea FTA, the China-Norway FTA, the China-Sri Lanka FTA, the China-Israel FTA, the China-Singapore FTA upgrade, and the China-New Zealand FTA upgrade.

China hopes to build a high-standard free trade area network in line with its own development level, and work with free trade partners to enhance the level of liberalization and facilitation of goods, services and investment, jointly cultivating global markets and further promoting the construction of an open world economy, and make contributions for the stable and healthy development of a global economy.

China has stepped up efforts to build a global trade network with greater use of FTAs to diversify its markets and counter protectionism. So far China has 17 FTAs with 25 countries and regions, and is in talks over 12 new or upgraded FTA deals.

Such efforts have become more evident in the past two years, especially after the US began imposing punitive tariffs on Chinese goods to push the world’s second largest economy to lower its market barriers. To further accelerate an FTA, China may exercise greater flexibility and creativity than before on the major issues, such as goods, services and investment.