(ECNS) -- China has signed 19 free trade agreements (FTAs) with 25 countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a Commerce Ministry official said Wednesday.
Song Lihong, an official with the Ministry of Commerce, spoke at a news conference held by the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) in Beijing on high-quality Belt and Road cooperation during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030).
Song said China will work with BRI partner countries to improve international economic and trade rules and strengthen the institutional framework for cooperation.
China will also coordinate with its partners to uphold the multilateral trading system, push for reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and safeguard principles such as most-favored-nation treatment. It will explore new rules to meet the evolving needs of the global economy, he added.
As part of efforts to expand its global FTA network, China will continue negotiating economic partnership agreements for shared development with African countries that have diplomatic ties with Beijing. It will push for the early entry into force of the upgraded China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 and the upgrade protocol to its free trade agreement with Georgia. It will also speed up FTA negotiations and upgrade talks with partner countries in Central Asia and the Pacific, while seeking early progress on the expansion and upgrading of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
China will also deepen cooperation with BRI partners in emerging areas, including the digital economy and green development, and work to improve rules in these fields, Song noted.
On investment, Song said China and BRI partner countries have signed 92 bilateral investment treaties that are in force, providing legal safeguards for promoting and protecting two-way investment.
China will continue to negotiate new investment agreements and upgrade existing ones to strengthen investment protection and facilitate cross-border investment, he added.
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