Ministry of Commerce Offers Comments on TPP Agreement

On October 8, Ministry of Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng provided positive comments on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) in an interview with domestic media posted on the MOFCOM MOFCOM website. 

Gao expressed his hope that the TPP would act in conjunction with other free-trade agreements to better facilitate trade and investment in the Asia pacific region.

Gao stated that he disagrees with the view that the TPP is aimed at constraining or excluding China, and emphasized that China and the US have smooth communications and fruitful cooperation on free-trade negotiations, especially under the APEC framework.

Gao said that China is promoting the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which involves 7 TPP members, and that China will continue to become more open and support globalization and multi-lateral trade regimes.

As to the relationship between the World Trade Organization and the TPP, Gao stated that the WTO plays a vital role in the international trade system, and that WTO members will not abandon this system.