China Applies to Join Pacific Trade Pact in Bid to Boost Economic Clout

China Applies to Join Pacific Trade Pact in Bid to Boost Economic Clout
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao attends a State Council Information Office news conference in Beijing in China on Feb. 24, 2021. Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters
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BEIJING—China has filed an application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the country’s commerce ministry said on Thursday, as the world’s second-biggest economy looks to bolster its clout in trade.

Commerce Minister Wang Wentao submitted China’s application to join the free trade agreement in a letter to New Zealand’s trade minister, Damien O'Connor, the Chinese ministry said in a statement.