China, ROK narrow difference in 13th FTZ talk

China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) concluded their 13th round of talks on establishing a bilateral free trade zone (FTZ) on Friday with progress made in multiple fields.

The two sides discussed tariff reduction arrangements and reached more common views in terms of service trade, investment and trade rules, China's Ministry of Commerce said on Friday.

The ministry said talks on remaining issues will ensure the negotiation that has lasted for over two years will be completed by the end of the year as promised by leaders of the two countries.

China and the ROK have been seeking to strengthen economic ties to boost growth amid the sluggish global recovery. Chinese President Xi Jinping vowed to bring bilateral trade to 300 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 during his visit to the ROK in July.