China

Officials in China say that they plan to discuss a trade deal that could rival the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) at the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in the Philippines. The Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific (FTAAP) was first proposed in 2006 as a counter to the TPP. Delegates to last year’s APEC meeting endorsed a proposal to explore the FTAAP possibility further. This year, China says it plans to announce the results of a study it has done on the proposed agreement. So far, China has not expressed interest in joining the TPP. (AFP)