Abstract: | President XI Jinping proposed at the APEC Beijing Summit in 2014 to start the construction of Asian free trade area. This indicates that China is willing to take the responsibility to do it. While encountering the game playing among the big nations and nation groups, we need to consider where the construction of Asian free trade area should go. This is an issue which tests our wisdom. If we follow the roadmap of TPP, it means that the leading power will be in the hands of others. If the construction of Asian free trade area goes its own way, it will fragmentize the Asia Pacific area. A practical way is to choose the RCEP as its base and combine the recently signed China Korea free trade agreement to set up the China Japan Korea free trade area. Based on this, the legal framework of Asian free trade area is approaching that of TPP. The future Asian free trade area is open to both APEC members and non APEC members. |