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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


More FTA deals in 2017
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New Zealand’s unique advantages mean that through the upgraded FTA, they will play a greater role in boosting global trade and investment and will help China gain a greater say in the world’s trade rules.
China, Chile agree to initiate talks on FTA upgrade
China and Chile agreed here Tuesday to start negotiation on upgrading their Free Trade Agreement
China, Peru to look at updating FTA
China and Peru on Monday signed a memorandum of understanding in Lima to conduct a feasibility study on upgrading the China-Peru Free Trade Agreement.
China pushes Asia-Pacific trade deals as Trump win dashes TPP hopes
China will seek support for a Beijing-led Asia-Pacific free trade area at a regional summit in Peru, Chinese officials, after Donald Trump’s U.S. election win dashed hopes for a U.S.-led free trade pact.
China firms eye ’Made in Vietnam’ windfall - if Obama’s TPP survives
Vietnam’s Free Trade Agreement with the European Union and the Trans Pacific Partnership would collectively give China access to markets worth $44 trillion in combined gross domestic product.
China eyes progress at APEC for China-backed free trade area
China hopes to see progress at the next summit in Peru of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) bloc in pushing ahead with a Chinese-backed trade liberalization framework.
China, Georgia wrap up FTA talks
China and Georgia substantially concluded their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations, with a landmark memorandum of understanding signed in Tbilisi.
Chinese beef acquisitions in Uruguay as Beijing dangles free trade deal
The purchase of a Uruguayan beef processor by a giant Chinese industrial conglomerate looks well-timed as China dangles the prospect of a free trade deal before the Latin American nation.
Service Trade Agreement with Mainland effective today
The Service Trade Agreement under the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) between Mainland China and Macau comes into effect on June 1, liberalising 153 service sectors from the SAR in China.

    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