China's Shenzhen sees trade grow with RCEP members

SHENZHEN -- China's southern boomtown Shenzhen in Guangdong province saw its trade with members of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) near 354 billion yuan ($52.4 billion) from January to May, an increase of 1.2 percent year-on-year.

During the period, exports from Shenzhen to RCEP members reached 123.8 billion yuan, up 11.4 percent year-on-year, according to statistics from the local customs.

The value of the exported goods reached 2.3 billion yuan during the period, while that of the imported goods reached 570 million yuan, the statistics showed.

Local authorities have also set up the Shenzhen Service Center of RCEP to facilitate the trade with RCEP members.

The RCEP, the world's largest free trade deal to date, covers 10 member states of the ASEAN and its five free trade agreement partners, namely China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia, and New Zealand. The countries under the framework account for roughly 30 percent of the world's gross domestic product and population.