China, ROK make progress in latest FTA talks

China and the Republic of Korea have made positive progress in the latest round of second-phase negotiations on their free trade agreement, the Ministry of Commerce said on Wednesday.

The 16th round was held in Beijing from Aug 31 to Sept 4, with the two sides holding in-depth consultations on cross-border trade in services and market access under a negative-list approach, according to a statement on the ministry's website.

The two sides agreed to accelerate the negotiations and strive for an early conclusion, in order to further raise the level of openness in trade in services and investment and promote the healthy and stable development of China-ROK economic and trade relations, the statement said.