China to continue backing FTAs, multilateral trade talks

China will continue to support free trade agreements and multilateral trade negotiations, said Vice-Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen on Sunday.

So far, China has signed 16 free trade agreements with 24 countries and regions, Wang said at a press conference during the first session of the 13th National People's Congress.

The development of trade and investment relations between China and its free trade partners was faster than that with non-free trade partners, he said.

Wang cited China's trade with Association of Southeast Asian Nations as an example. China-ASEAN trade reached more than $500 billion last year, which was six times the volume of trade when the two sides just signed FTA.

The country will keep supporting multilateral trade negotiations on some traditional issues such as negotiation on public security of grain reserves, and the ongoing fishery subsidies negotiation, he said.

In addition, China also holds open attitudes toward negotiations on new issues, like e-commerce and investment facilitation, Wang added.