ISDS Case Map
China
China on Friday proposed that Beijing and Islamabad should speed up their joint study on a five-year plan for economic and trade cooperation and establish a Sino-Pakistani free trade agreement at an early date.
Pakistan's interest not withstanding, there are many who believe that a free trade deal with China would adversely affect the south Asian country's economic prospects.
Mr. Osamu Watanabe, Chairman of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) recently told China Youth Daily in Beijing that talks on the free trade zone between Japan and China were not likely to be launched until 2008 when China fully honors its WTO commitment.
Pakistan can be an energy corridor for China and it wants the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline extended up to China, President General Pervez Musharraf told a group of Chinese traders during a meeting on Wednesday.
Once we confront the flimsiness of the free trade ideal and admit that every deal has varied implications, the sleight of hand that characterizes so-called global free trade might begin to be broken down and something called fair trade might yet emerge.
The two officials exchanged views on modification of the present economic cooperation agreement between EU and China.
Officials of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei said in Washington, DC Thursday that setting up direct cross-Taiwan Strait links could fast-track a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the United States and Taiwan.
Canada has rested on its resource-boom laurels and has fallen behind in the global race to sign free-trade deals with other countries, Trade Minister David Emerson warns.
Beijing has told Canberra that opening access to China's services industry will be the most difficult aspect in bilateral free-trade negotiations, according to an Australian official.
Beijing wants an FTA with Korea to alleviate its chronic trade deficit with its neighbor. Seoul is more reserved on the issue, since it could cause a surge in cheap agricultural produce and light industry goods.
