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China-Japan-Korea

The governments of China, South Korea and Japan are expected to commence negotiations on an eventual trilateral free trade agreement between the three countries during 2012 by first concluding bilateral agreements.

In December 2011, the three countries held a final joint study meeting on the feasibility of an FTA among them.

In January 2012, the South Korean and Chinese presidents announced that they would move towards negotiating a bilateral agreement between the two countries. In March 2012, the three countries concluded an investment agreement among themselves which is viewed as a step towards a more comprehensive FTA. In May 2012, China and Korea held their first round of negotiations towards an FTA in Beijing.

Negotiations on a Japan-Korea bilateral FTA, which stalled in 2004, despite several attempts to revive them, have to contend with unresolved tensions stemming from the Japanese occupation of Korea in the first half of the 20th century and Japanese resistance to lowering tariffs on agricultural imports. Any eventual FTA between China, South Korea and Japan needs to be seen in the context of ongoing economic and political rivalry between China and the USA, as Washington pursues plans to create a new regional free trade and investment agreement by joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

last update: May 2012
Photo: KOREA.NET - Official page of the Republic of Korea / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0


Japan, China, S. Korea conclude joint study on FTA
Japan, China and South Korea on Friday concluded a joint study on the possibility of signing a trilateral free trade accord, laying the groundwork for launching official negotiations as early as next summer.
Noda to prod ROK on FTAs
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda will likely urge South Korean President Lee Myung Bak to begin negotiations on a free trade agreement between the two countries plus China, when Lee visits Tokyo this weekend, top Democratic Party of Japan policymaker Seiji Maehara said Wednesday.
TPP may affect China’s possible FTA with S. Korea, Japan: scholar
An envisioned regional free trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific may affect China’s possible free trade agreements with South Korea and Japan, giving the world’s No. 2 economy less bargaining power, a Chinese scholar said Thursday.
North Asia free-trade area agreement enormously beneficial but years away
A free-trade area among China, Japan and South Korea would bring enormous benefits to the regional economy, but it will take many years before such an agreement can be signed, officials and experts said on Wednesday.
Korea, China, Japan to hold 6th study meeting on FTA
South Korea, China and Japan will hold their sixth joint study meeting next week on the feasibility of a free trade agreement (FTA) among the three Northeast Asian countries, trade ministry said on Wednesday.
Push FTA of South Korea, Japan, China toward TPP
Ten years since the concept of a free-trade agreement (FTA) among Japan, China and South Korea was proposed, some visibly significant moves have gotten under way recently. The three countries, at their leaders’ summit talks held in Japan on May 21 and 22, reached agreement to conclude the industry-government-academia joint studies on the FTA issue this year and begin intergovernmental negotiations next year.
Trade groups urge FTA among S. Korea, China, Japan
Major trade organizations of South Korea, China and Japan urged their governments Friday to quickly sign a three-way free trade agreement (FTA) to strengthen their economic cooperation.
Japan, China, South Korea Eye Trade Pact
The leaders of Japan, China and South Korea pledged Sunday to speed up laying the ground work for a possible three-way free trade pact, in a step to revitalize discussions in light of the economic damage from the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan on March 11.
S. Korea, China expected to launch FTA talks in June
South Korea and China are expected to launch free trade negotiations as early as June, an official said Thursday, setting in motion a process to tear down trade barriers between two of Asia’s biggest economies.
S. Korea, China, Japan agree on earlier conclusion of joint study on FTA
Top trade officials from South Korea, China and Japan agreed Sunday to conclude a joint study on the feasibility of a trilateral free trade agreement (FTA) at an earlier date, South Korean officials said.