The State Council issued a statement on Feb 16, saying it will establish a system of joint conferences to coordinate the development of pilot free trade zones.

The conferences will be managed by Wang Yang, Vice-Premier in charge of the development of free trade zones, and he will be responsible for coordinating work concerning these zones.

The conferences will give general guidance, address various issues, review the work and expand trials whenever required.

The State Council approved the statement on Feb 7.

China will establish three free trade zones — in Tianjin, Guangdong province and Fujian province — after its first pilot free trade zone was launched in Shanghai in 2013.

The schedule for the three zones in unconfirmed.

Members of the system of conferences will include officials from the Ministry of Commerce, Central Financial and Economic Work Leading Group Office, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Education — and various departments under the State Council.