Last week, during Chinese Premier Li Qiang's visit to Belarus, the two governments signed a number of deals on the BRI and trade, including one on services trade and investment.

In recent interviews, Chinese Ministry of Commerce officials mapped out the country's efforts on trade talks and renewed its commitment to joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and concluding other free trade agreements (FTAs).

China and Peru announced that they have substantially finished the negotiations on the upgrade of their 2009 free trade agreement. They also signed deals in other trade and economic areas.

Today, China and New Zealand announced the launch of negotiations on services trade. They also signed documents to facilitate trade in infant formula and kiwiberry.

A trilateral meeting among Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol led to an agreement to elevate negotiations on a trilateral free trade agreement, as well as some bilateral mechanisms to revive trade and investment.

During Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Serbia last week, the two governments announced that their bilateral trade agreement will enter into force on July 1, covering goods such as autos, solar modules, and lithium batteries.

The China-Ecuador Free Trade Agreement (FTA) entered into force on May 1 after both sides finished their domestic legal procedures. The agreement would lower tariffs for Chinese steel and autos over time.