bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo
  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 wants to boost trade with US allies, no mention of US deal
5-Mar-2021 Al Jazeera
China stands ready to work with other countries to achieve mutual benefits on the basis of greater mutual opening,” Premier Li Keqiang said.
China plans mega transport network to boost trade, economic growth
26-Feb-2021 Global Times
China’s plan to build a global rapid logistics circle for goods by 2035, which will likely boost China’s trade with major economies in the EU and Asia.
Here’s why China’s trade deal with Mauritius matters
18-Feb-2021 How we made it in Africa
Mauritius already plays an important role as an investment entrepôt for the subcontinent. This likely makes Sino-Mauritian ties even more important for the rest of the continent to watch.
Norway’s youth parties call for end to China free trade talks
11-Feb-2021 Axios
The youth wings of Norway’s main political parties have signed a letter calling for the country to rescind its normalization agreement with China and stop free trade negotiations due to China’s human rights violations.
As largest FDI recipient, China improves business climate for investors
28-Jan-2021 Global Times
As its economy maintains recovery momentum, the country aims to attract foreign investors this year by encouraging investment in more industries, shortening negative lists for foreign investment, and further expanding the free-trade network.
China set to expand free trade network
11-Jan-2021 The Phnom Penh Post
China will step up efforts to expand its free trade area network with trading partners across the world to enlarge its “circle of friends”, while eliminating more tariffs on goods and broadening market access for services trade and investment, according to commerce minister Wang Wentao.
China-Mauritius FTA goes into effect. But who benefits?
5-Jan-2021 TRT
China’s first FTA with an African country provides a stepping stone into the continent through the geopolitical hotspot Indo-Pacific region.
China-Mauritius free-trade deal creates model for Beijing’s trade with Africa, observers say
4-Jan-2021 South China Morning Post
Deal will ‘vitalise cooperation between our two countries and strengthen China-Africa economic ties’, head of African affairs at Chinese foreign ministry says.
China FTA set for National Assembly ratification
14-Dec-2020 The Phnom Penh Post
The inter-ministerial committee in charge of Cambodia-China Free Trade Agreement (CCFTA) negotiations is preparing documents to submit to the National Assembly (NA) for a ratification and an ambitious implementation by January 1.
China vows to expand global free trade area network
27-Nov-2020 Hellenic Shipping News
China will step up efforts to expand the free trade area network across the world to enlarge its “circle of friends”, according to China’s Commerce Minister Zhong Shan.

    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