MNI BRIEF: China To Quicken EU Deal; Open To CPTPP: Official

China and the EU are accelerating negotiations to their planned Investment Agreement through continuous and intensive talks, aiming to complete negotiations within the year, Gao Feng, spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce said Thursday, adding that Beijing was also willing to push on with talks towards to a free trade agreement.

Gao noted that China is still positive and open to joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, welcoming any regional free trade agreement, "as long as it conforms to the WTO principles and is open, inclusive and transparent, conducive to economic globalization and regional economic integration".

Following the signing of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership along with 14 other Asia-Pacific nations last week, China is willing to work with Japan and South Korea to accelerate the negotiations of China-Japan-Korea Free Trade Agreement, he said, pushing on towards a "RCEP+" free trade agreement. RCEP will help China boost imports of advanced technology, equipment and parts, and other resource commodities, while also stabilize China's exports to other countries in the region, he said.