China is willing to collaborate with the members of the Digital Economy Partnership Agreement (DEPA) to advance technical consultations, address pivotal provisions and mutual concerns, and explore practical cooperation in the digital economy sector, said a senior government official.

Speaking at a ministerial meeting between China and the DEPA member countries in San Francisco on Tuesday, Wang Shouwen, China international trade representative and vice-minister of commerce, said the Chinese government attaches great importance to joining the DEPA, actively advancing the accession process, proactively aligning with high-standard international economic and trade rules, as well as steadily expanding institutionalized openness in terms of rules, regulations, management and standards, said an online statement released by the Ministry of Commerce on Wednesday.

Signed by New Zealand, Singapore and Chile in June 2020, the DEPA coordinates policies on the digital economy and is the first of its kind in the world. It covers almost all key sectors of the digital economy, ranging from the facilitation of commerce and trade to personal information safety. China formally submitted its application to join the DEPA in November 2021.

Since the formation of the DEPA working group for China's accession in August 2022, Wang emphasized that there have been ongoing and meticulous communications at various levels between China and the member countries, resulting in positive progress in the negotiations.

The DEPA member countries have positively assessed the progress made by China's working group, expressing a willingness to move forward in coordination with China, comprehensively advance negotiations at all levels, deepen cooperation in the digital economy, and facilitate substantive breakthroughs in the negotiations at an early date, according to the statement.