CHINA-JAPAN: NEGOTIATIONS FOR A TRADE AGREEMENT
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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts in Beijing on August 22 to discuss a potential trade agreement between their countries. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang dropped in on the meeting – signaling the importance that the Chinese place on these talks. Jun Saito, deputy press secretary of Japan’s ministry of foreign affairs, said 'There is certainly political will from the three parties to speed the negotiations on a free-trade agreement.' Summing up China’s underlying motivation to get a deal done, former Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wei Jianguo said “The current global system is under the heavy influence of US protectionism and unilateralism, and no country can remain undamaged.” He also said “It is necessary to promote the trilateral FTA and move towards a rules-based system, rather than being victims of the unilateral trade protectionism.”
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