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
Scientists and environmentalists are warning that China’s vast “Silk Road” global infrastructure initiative could cause permanent environmental damage unless it’s carefully handled.
The newly formed government in Malaysia is apprehensive of China’s One Belt One Road Initiative (OBOR). The Mahathir Mohamad government is not very keen to participate in China’s One Belt One Road Project.
Panama’s trade and industry minister hopes that a free trade agreement between Panama and China will especially benefit the infrastructure, agriculture, logistics, energy, tourism and e-commerce sectors.
Many think that infrastructure in North Korea is in a dilapidated state, but data from the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) tells a different story and one that indicates that North Korea’s economic potential may have been underestimated.
The 18th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit provided an opportunity for China to re-affirm its strong relationship with the core countries along the land route to Europe.
The new government of Malaysia will continue its "friendly" relationship with China and "make best use" of its initiative to create a 21st-century Silk Road to connect East Asia with Europe, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday.
China’s Belt and Road initiative could play an important role in accelerating Mongolia’s economic growth by improving regional infrastructure, trade and investment, former Prime Minister Sukhbaatar Batbold said in an interview on Monday.
Kyrgyzstan backs the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and believes the initiative will greatly promote common development in the region.
The Government of Malaysia has said that while it has good bilateral relations with China, it would not be keen to go overboard in getting involved in Beijing’s BRI.
German industrial and engineering group Siemens has signed more than ten agreements with Chinese companies to explore business opportunities created by Beijing’s Belt and Road trade initiative.
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China FTA Network
Official website on China’s FTAs, maintained by MOFCOM
