Trade talks pace must speed up, expert says

China must accelerate the negotiation pace of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and other regional free trade agreements, an expert said on Sunday, to be better able to confront any challenges posed by the United States-led Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Zhang Jianping, director of the International Economic Cooperation Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that apart from upgrading its industrial structure and promoting the Belt and Road Initiative, China has initiated and deepened negotiations on regional free trade to reduce possible effects on its exports.

These include the RCEP talks, China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement, China-South Korea-Japan Free Trade Agreement and Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific.