China says RCEP negotiations make positive progress

BEIJING - China's commerce ministry said Wednesday that positive progress has been made in the 27th round of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) negotiations.

During the negotiations, participants exchanged views on issues including trade of goods and services, investment, rules of origin, trade remedy measures, intellectual property rights as well as e-commerce, Assistant Minister of Commerce Li Chenggang told a press conference.

More than 700 representatives from 16 RCEP members participated in the negotiations held from July 22 to 31 in Zhengzhou, capital city of central China's Henan province, according to Li.

Li said China will work with all sides involved to push for completing the negotiations within this year.

The RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement between the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the six FTA partners of ASEAN -- China, Japan, Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand and India.

Li noted that the progress will help ensure more consensus to be reached at the upcoming RCEP ministerial conference scheduled for Aug 2 and 3 in Beijing.