China calls on CPTPP members to accelerate its accession process

China hopes that members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will accelerate the process of China's accession to the free trade deal, as the country is fully prepared to join it, said a Commerce Ministry spokesman on Thursday.

Speaking at a regular press conference in Beijing, He Yadong, the spokesman, said that since formally applying to join the CPTPP in September 2021, China has conducted in-depth analysis of the agreement's provisions and held extensive exchange of views with the existing CPTPP member economies through various channels. It has also launched pilot programs in eligible free trade zones and ports.

These efforts fully demonstrate China's readiness and commitment to meeting the agreement’s high standards, the spokesman added.

"Moving forward, we will actively get into line with high-standard international economic and trade rules, such as the CPTPP, and steadily expand institutional opening-up. At the same time, we will continue in-depth communication with CPTPP members in line with the relevant procedures and actively push forward the accession process. We hope CPTPP members will accelerate China's accession and take concrete steps to support multilateralism and free trade, injecting more certainty and driving force into global economic and trade development," he said.

China calls on CPTPP members to accelerate its accession process

China calls on CPTPP members to accelerate its accession process

The Global Tourism Economy Forum (GTEF) was held in Harbin City of northeast China's Heilongjiang, which is reputed as China's "Ice City", on Tuesday, bringing together over 1,000 delegates from more than 30 countries and regions around the world to chart a new blueprint for development of the global tourism economy.

Founded in China's Macao Special Administrative Region in 2012, the annual GTEF has established itself as a key platform fostering dialogue between China and the rest of the world.

As the first iteration held outside Macao, the 2025 edition of the forum leveraged Heilongjiang's distinctive resources and strategic position to build itself into a high-level international platform for promoting development of winter tourism.

Under the theme "New Quality Productive Forces: A New Engine for the Global Tourism Economy," the event facilitated discussions on the industry's future development and connected new opportunities worldwide.

The forum further established Heilongjiang as a premier global ice-and-snow tourism destination and a new hub for international cultural exchange. It is also set to contribute China's insights and practical approaches to high-quality and sustainable development of winter tourism worldwide.

International tourism forum held in China's "Ice City" to foster industry growth