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  1. Negotiations

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 willing to negotiate FTA with African countries, organizations
12-Jan-2006 Xinhua
China is willing to negotiate Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with African countries and African regional organizations when conditions are ripe, according to China’s African Policy Paper issued Thursday in Beijing. The paper, the first of its kind, said the Chinese government encourages and supports Chinese enterprises’ investment and business in Africa.
China : Mainland to negotiate FTA with 27 nations: Bo Xilai
3-Jan-2006 Fibre2fashion.com
After remaining silent during the WTO meeting in Hong Kong, December 2005, China has decided to focus on the bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) and play a lead role in multilateral trade discussions during the year 2006.
GCC chief expects free trade talks with China to end soon
18-Dec-2005
Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Abdul Rahman al-Attiya said here on Sunday that he hoped talks between the GCC and China on a free trade agreement will be concluded soon.
China to begin FTA deals with trading partners from next year
17-Dec-2005
China will honour its free trade area (FTA) agreements with its trading partners, levy negotiated tariffs on some Indian goods and will also offer special preferential tariff rates to about 30 least developing countries next year, finance minister Jin Renqing said.
China, Pakistan harvest ties
10-Dec-2005
Pakistani mangos and oranges will be imported into China at zero tariff from January 1, 2006, while Chinese-made textile machinery and organic chemicals will enjoy free duty in Pakistan at the same time.
China, Chile sign free-trade agreement
18-Nov-2005
China and Chile signed a free-trade agreement Friday, the first between China and a Latin American country.
China, Chile reach agreement on trade in cargo on their way to FTA
29-Oct-2005 People’s Daily
Chinese Ministry of Commerce (MOC) announced here Friday that China and Chile have reached agreement on trade in cargo which is an important step towards the establishment of their free trade area (FTA).
Free trade pact with Chile on horizon
25-Oct-2005 China Daily
China and Chile launched the fifth round of talks towards a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) yesterday in Beijing, and hopes to be the last round of negotiations for a formal agreement.
Snag hit on services: Bilateral FTA talks now at halfway point
24-Oct-2005 Bangkok Post
Thailand is unlikely to gain much benefit from service sector liberalisation in a free trade area (FTA) agreement with the United States, a Thai trade negotiator says as the talks reach their halfway point.
China’s New World trade coveted, feared
27-Sep-2005 Miami Herald
China pursues stronger economic ties with Latin American and the Caribbean. But will the new relationship spur development or be a step backward?