ISDS Case Map
China
The third round of free trade area negotiation between China and GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) was concluded recently in Beijing.
Since China and the ASEAN started their tariff reduction process on July 1, 2005 on the basis of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) agreement, the ASEAN would gradually lower its tariff upon Chinese textile and apparel, which may increase China's textile export to this region.
Indian Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said Wednesday that India hopes to conclude a free trade or similar economic partnership agreement with Japan before it concludes one with China.
China will take further steps to encourage investments in Mali, while Mali will strive to increase the direct export of cotton and other products to China.
Sondhi Limthongkul, founder of the Manger Group, alleged that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra signed free trade agreement contracts with Australia and China with ulterior motive to benefit telecom businesses of his family.
China is willing to negotiate Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with African countries and African regional organizations when conditions are ripe, according to China's African Policy Paper issued Thursday in Beijing. The paper, the first of its kind, said the Chinese government encourages and supports Chinese enterprises' investment and business in Africa.
The China-ASEAN FTA will form a huge market, with 1.85 billion consumers and a combined gross domestic product of almost US$2.5 trillion. Both sides hope to establish an FTA by 2010, and will gradually reduce export tariffs until then.
The Uruguayan government plans to seek free trade agreements with the U.S. and China, Economy Minister Danilo Astori said in an interview published Thursday in a weekly Uruguayan magazine.
Japan is likely to pursue free-trade agreements with China and India as well as Australia to give it more clout in a proposed East Asian community, a leading Japanese daily reported on Tuesday.
After remaining silent during the WTO meeting in Hong Kong, December 2005, China has decided to focus on the bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) and play a lead role in multilateral trade discussions during the year 2006.
