China issues more certificates in April to facilitate int'l trade: CCPIT

China issued more trade certificates in April to facilitate international trade, China's trade council said on Friday.

The total number of certificates issued by trade promotion authorities across the country in the month increased by 21.45 percent over the same period last year, according to a press conference held by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) in Beijing.

The number of preferential certificates of origin issued in the month increased by 49.91 percent year-on-year to 275,300, showing strong resilience of foreign trade enterprises in the current complicated external situation, said the Council.

A total of 30,756 certificates of origin were issued under the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) for 859 million U.S. dollars of goods, up 26.93 percent and 25.33 percent year on year, respectively.

The strong growth in certificate issuance is a testament of the steady growth of China's foreign trade in April, with the scale of imports and exports reaching the second-highest level in history and delivering a better-than-expected performance, according to the CCPIT. "This indicates that foreign trade enterprises are actively applying the preferential policies of free trade agreements including RCEP to explore diversified markets, respond to the external environment and stand up to risks and challenges," said CCPIT spokeswoman Zhao Ping at the press conference.

China issues more certificates in April to facilitate int'l trade: CCPIT

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday that Seoul firmly adheres to the one-China principle, in comments made ahead of his upcoming state visit to China.

The remarks were made in an interview with China Media Group (CMG). The visit is scheduled for Jan 4–7.

"The consensus reached between governments of the Republic of Korea and China when diplomatic relations were established continues to be the fundamental principle governing our relations, and its effectiveness remains steadfast. I want to clearly state that the ROK has always adhered to the one-China principle. Maintaining peace and stability in regional matters, including in Northeast Asia and concerning the Taiwan issue, holds significant importance to us," said Lee.

"The foundational relationship between the ROK and China was established on a very principled and fundamental basis from the beginning. It is clear that the ROK government has always adhered to this position and has never wavered from it. I believe that the sound development of ROK-China relations depends on both sides fully respecting each other's core interests and being mutually tolerant of each other's positions. In this context, we will, as always, uphold the one-China principle as the Taiwan issue is China's most fundamental concern," he said.

ROK president reiterates firm adherence to one-China principle