On 12-14 September, the 53rd Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement Standing Committee Meeting and related panel meetings such as service trade, investment, rules of origin, and trade facilitation were held in Seoul, South Korea. Attending were delegations from its members--China, India, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Laos. Mongolia attended the meeting as an observer.

This is the first Standing Committee Meeting after the achievements of the 4th round of negotiation of tariff concessions were implemented on July 1, 2018. Discussions were focused on the specific implementation and the negotiation mode of the 5th round of tariff concession, and issues such as trade in services, investment, trade facilitation were substantively negotiated, and issues such as the 5th Ministerial Council of the Agreement and Mongolia's joining in the Agreement were discussed in depth.