On March 23, the Chief Negotiators’ meeting of the 13th Round of Negotiations of China-Japan-South Korea Free Trade Zone was held in Seoul, Korea. Vice Minister of Commerce and Deputy China International Trade Representative Wang Shouwen, Japan’s Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Yamazaki Kazuyuki and South Korea’s Deputy Minister of Trade and Investment Kim Young-sam led their own delegations to attend the meeting. They agreed that concluding the negotiations of China-Japan-South Korea FTA as soon as possible accords with the three parties’ interests, is of great importance to deepen regional economic cooperation and realize the trade and investment liberalization and facilitation in East Asia. They exchanged ideas on how to make further progress on promoting trade in goods and services and investment.

They also held panel meetings on trade in services, telecommunications and financial services and exchanged policies comprehensively and carefully on the management measures of trade in services.

China-Japan-Korea FTA negotiations were launched in November 2012. The three parties attached great importance to the negotiations, and strove to reach a comprehensive, high-level and reciprocal free trade agreement with unique value.