The reporter learned from the Ministry of Commerce on May 16 that Li Chenggang, the international trade negotiator and deputy minister of the Ministry of Commerce, attended the ministerial meeting of China and the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) during his participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Trade Ministers' Meeting in Jeju, South Korea.
Li Chenggang said that since China joined the DEPA working group, China has continued to carry out close communication with members at all levels, comprehensively demonstrating China's determination, ability and actions to meet the high standards of the agreement, and positive progress has been made in the negotiations. China unswervingly promotes high-level opening up to the outside world, actively connects with international high-standard economic and trade rules, and maintains the rules-based international economic and trade order.
China's joining DEPA will bring more market opportunities to enterprises from all sides and make positive contributions to the long-term development of DEPA and the construction of international digital economy rules. China looks forward to adopting innovative methods with DEPA members to jointly accelerate the negotiation process and promote more substantial progress in the negotiations.
DEPA members actively evaluated the progress made by China to join the working group, believed that the work carried out has deepened the understanding of each other's digital governance system and practices between members and China, and expressed their willingness to work with China to actively promote consultations at all levels and promote greater progress in negotiations.
It is understood that on November 1, 2021, China submitted an application for joining the DEPA. On August 18, 2022, according to the decision of the DEPA Joint Committee, the China Joint Working Group was established and the China Joint Negotiation was officially launched.
(CCTV reporter Liu Ying and Li Chao)
