Beijing supports Asian free-trade area

%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EPremier%20Wen%20Jiabao%20said%20on%20Monday%20China%20supports%20pushing%20forward%20an%20Asian%20free-trade%20area%2C%20which%20will%20cover%2028%20percent%20of%20world%27s%20total%20export%20volume.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EPrevious%20reports%20said%20China%20is%20expected%20to%20make%20announcements%20on%20Tuesday%20in%20Phnom%20Penh%20that%20it%20will%20join%20the%20talks%20for%20the%20Asian%20free-trade%20area%2C%20namely%20the%20Regional%20Comprehensive%20Economic%20Partnership%2C%20and%20join%20hands%20with%20Japan%20and%20South%20Korea%20to%20start%20trilateral%20negotiations%20on%20their%20own%20free%20trade%20area.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20RCEP%20talks%20will%20help%20integrate%20ASEAN%2C%20which%20has%20been%20divided%20amid%20the%20progress%20of%20the%20US-led%20Trans-Pacific%20Partnership%20and%20elevated%20ASEAN%27s%20leading%20role%20in%20the%20region%2C%20experts%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EWen%20said%20during%20the%2015th%20ASEAN%20Plus%20Three%20Summit%20on%20Monday%20that%20%22China%20supports%20pushing%20forward%20the%20Regional%20Comprehensive%20Economic%20Partnership%22.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20gathering%20involved%20the%2010-member%20Association%20of%20Southeast%20Asian%20Nations%20as%20well%20as%20China%2C%20Japan%20and%20South%20Korea.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20RCEP%20is%20made%20up%20of%2010%20ASEAN%20countries%20plus%20China%2C%20Japan%2C%20South%20Korea%2C%20India%2C%20Australia%20and%20New%20Zealand.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EOnce%20built%20up%2C%20the%20RCEP%20will%20likely%20to%20cover%20half%20of%20the%20world%27s%20population%20and%20become%20the%20largest%20free%20trade%20area%20around%20the%20globe.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EASEAN%20has%20said%20it%20expects%20to%20start%20the%20talks%20at%20the%20beginning%20of%20next%20year%20and%20finish%20by%20the%20end%20of%202015.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EReports%20said%20that%20the%20RCEP%20grew%20out%20of%20a%20plan%20to%20launch%20trilateral%20trade%20talks%20between%20China%2C%20Japan%20and%20South%20Korea.%20Some%20ASEAN%20countries%20pushed%20for%20a%20wider%20deal.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EVice-Foreign%20Minister%20Fu%20Ying%20said%20earlier%20that%20the%20RCEP%20agreement%2C%20if%20reached%2C%20will%20give%20a%20strong%20impetus%20to%20the%20economic%20integrity%20of%20East%20Asia%2C%20as%20the%20initiative%20is%20expected%20to%20incorporate%20the%20economic%20power%20of%2016%20nations.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EThe%20objective%20of%20the%20RCEP%20is%20to%20attain%20a%20comprehensive%20and%20mutually%20beneficial%20economic%20partnership%20agreement%20that%20involves%20deeper%20engagement%20than%20the%20existing%20ASEAN%20FTAs.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22As%20the%20international%20financial%20crisis%20continues%20and%20trade%20and%20investment%20protectionism%20start%20to%20grow%2C%20regional%20economic%20integration%20has%20become%20the%20common%20choice%20of%20many%20countries%2C%22%20Fu%20said%20at%20a%20news%20conference%20last%20week.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EIt%20is%20widely%20believed%20that%20China%27s%20support%20for%20the%20RCEP%20is%20a%20reaction%20to%20US%20progress%20in%20forming%20the%20TPP%20that%20excludes%20China.%20Fu%20said%20that%20China%20has%20an%20open%20attitude%20toward%20any%20cooperation%20initiative%20that%20is%20conducive%20to%20economic%20integration%20and%20common%20prosperity.%20%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22It%20is%20a%20reality%20that%20there%20are%20different%20paths%20of%20establishing%20free%20trade%20areas%20in%20the%20Asia%20Pacific%20region.%20And%20under%20current%20circumstances%2C%20we%20shall%20give%20full%20consideration%20to%20the%20differences%20in%20and%20diversity%20of%20the%20economic%20development%20in%20the%20region.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3E%22We%20shall%20insist%20on%20principles%20of%20openness%2C%20inclusiveness%20and%20transparency%20to%20gradually%20push%20forward%20the%20economic%20integration%20in%20the%20Asia%20Pacific%2C%22%20she%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3ECompared%20with%20the%20high%20standards%20of%20the%20TPP%2C%20the%20RCEP%20is%20more%20energetic%20and%20enables%20a%20more%20generous%20consideration%20of%20each%20state%27s%20needs%2C%20experts%20said.%3C/FONT%3E%3C/P%3E%0D%0A%3CP%3E%3CFONT%20face%3DVerdana%3EASEAN%20is%20actively%20pushing%20the%20RCEP%20as%20the%20TPP%20talks%20have%20divided%20ASEAN%20nations%20and%20weakened%20its%20leading%20role%20in%20regional%20cooperation%2C%20said%20Lu%20Jianren%2C%20an%2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