Foreign trade of China's pilot free-trade zones (FTZs) reached 2 trillion yuan (about 416.26 billion U.S. dollars) in the first quarter of this year, up 2.2 percent year on year, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce said in Beijing on Thursday.
Speaking at a regular press conference, He Yongqian, the spokesperson, said that amid the current complex and severe international situation, the development of the country's pilot FTZs has demonstrated remarkable resilience.
The Ministry of Commerce will further implement the strategy to elevate free trade zones and promote the quality of their construction.
"Benchmarking against high-standard rules such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA), we will carry out broader, deeper and more vigorous institutional opening-up trials in developing service trade and facilitating cross-border data flows among other areas. We will support free trade pilot zones in conducting integrated innovation throughout the entire industrial chain around key industries such as biomedicine, equipment manufacturing, marine economy and shipping logistics, so as to build more world-leading advanced industrial clusters," she added.
Foreign trade of China's pilot FTZs up 2.2 pct in first quarter
The Republic of Korea (ROK) and China should cherish the historical experience of jointly resisting aggression and continue to work together for a prosperous future, said ROK President Lee Jae Myung.
At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Lee will pay a state visit to China from Jan 4 to 7. It will be Lee's first visit to China since he took office last year.
In an interview with China Media Group (CMG) in Seoul on Wednesday, Lee said that humanity must learn from the past to prevent the tragedy of war from repeating itself.
"While pursuing their own national interests to the fullest extent, countries must not harm the national interests of others, but should coexist peacefully. The act of invading other countries and massacring their people for one's own benefit must never be repeated. History of humanity often repeats itself, therefore we must learn from the past. In this regard, I believe the historical experience of ROK and China in resisting aggression and fighting together is invaluable. Of course, while historical experience is important, we cannot remain stuck in the past. For a better future for the people of both countries, we need to continuously explore possibilities for working together towards the future," said the president.
ROK president calls for learning lesson from anti-aggression history
ROK president calls for learning lesson from anti-aggression history
