China to continue quality implementation of RCEP three years on: spokesperson

BEIJING, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- As the largest economy of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), China will continue to implement RCEP in a comprehensive and high-quality manner, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday.

The RCEP celebrated its third anniversary of effective implementation on Wednesday. It comprises 15 countries, including 10 countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), as well as China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

China will continue to implement the RCEP to promote the upgrading of free trade in the Asia-Pacific region and achieve common development and prosperity, Mao said at a regular news briefing.

As the free trade area with the largest population, the largest trade scale and the greatest potential for development, the RCEP further injects vitality into regional economic integration in the Asia-Pacific, brings market opportunities to countries and boosts the confidence of the international community in multilateralism, Mao said.

According to a study conducted by the Asian Development Bank, the RCEP is expected to increase the member economies' incomes by 0.6 percent by 2030, adding 245 billion U.S. dollars annually to regional income and 2.8 million jobs to regional employment.