China starts free trade feasibility study with Georgia

[BEIJING] China and the former Soviet republic Georgia will set up a joint working group to look at the feasibility of signing a free trade agreement, China's commerce ministry said on Wednesday.

Trade between China and Georgia totalled US$960 million last year, and China is Georgia's third largest trading partner, the ministry said, providing no other details of the trade agreement talks.

China inked major free trade agreements with Australia and South Korea last year, and already has deals with a handful of other countries, including Costa Rica, Peru, New Zealand and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Other countries it is also looking at signing such agreements with include Israel and members of the Gulf Cooperation Council - Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

REUTERS