“The Ministry of Commerce is working with relevant departments to try to liberalize the trade in services between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong and Macao by the end of the year,” said Shen Danyang, spokesperson of the Ministry of Commerce at the routine news conference of the ministry held on October 20 when talking about the economic cooperation and development between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao.

 

On October 9, Hong Kong SAR government declared that Hong Kong and Macao will discuss the free trade agreement, i.e. Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement between Hong Kong and Macao (CEPA between Hong Kong and Macao). Shen pointed out, “Hong Kong and Macao are economically mutual complementary. We are happy to see the two parties to deepen economic exchange and cooperation through negotiating CEPA.”

 

In order to strengthen the economic cooperation between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong and Macao and support economic development of the two regions. Since 2003, the Chinese mainland have signed CEPA and 10 supplementary agreements with Hong Kong and Macao. At the end of 2014, The Mainland Achieves Basic Liberalization of Trade in Services with Hong Kong and Macao in Guangdong through CEPA was signed. “This move significantly enhanced the economic cooperation and development between the mainland and Hong Kong and Macao.” said Shen, “in order to further deepen economic cooperation between the mainland and the two regions, and implement the goal of achieving basic liberalization with Hong Kong and Macao through CEPA by the end of the 12^th Five-Year Plan period mentioned by Premier Li Keqiang, the Ministry of Commerce is working with relevant departments to try to realize liberalization of trade in services between the mainland and the two regions.”