China’s Li Keqiang pushes for regional trade integration

May 11, 2018

TOKYO - China’s Premier, Li Keqiang, says China, Japan and the Republic of Korea should accelerate negotiations to establish a free trade area and reach agreements on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership as soon as possible to achieve regional integration.

At the seventh China-Japan-ROK leaders' meeting in Tokyo, the premier said development of the three countries has benefitted from free trade.

China Daily quoted Li as saying they should firmly stand together to safeguard the rule-based multilateral trading system and fight against protectionism and unilateralism.

The regional partnership is a proposed free trade agreement between the 10 members of ASEAN and six other countries, including China, Japan and the ROK. www.webershandwick.cn (ATI).