China-South Korea FTA Phase 2 Round 16 Talks Held in Beijing

This signals a deliberate push by both governments to deepen economic integration beyond goods, focusing on the harder-to-negotiate services and investment rules. The shift to a negative-list approach is the key technical detail, as it implies a higher ambition for market openness than traditional positive lists. For regional supply chains and cross-border service providers, the pace of these talks matters more than the rhetoric, as an early conclusion would set a precedent for other Asian trade deals. The open question is whether this momentum can withstand domestic political pressures in either country before the next round.