Chinese Ministry of Commerce announced on Thursday that China has officially filed an application for membership in the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP). Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao also held a teleconference with New Zealand's Trade Minister Damien O'Connor on the following steps in the membership process.
Beijing launched a study into potential membership in February as China sought to "widen its free trade network." The CPTPP currently comprises Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam, with the United Kingdom currently in membership negotiations.