Xinhua News Agency, London, February 27th (Reporter Gui Tao and Yang Xiaojing) A document issued by the British government on the basis of negotiations on future relations between Britain and Europe stated that the UK seeks to reach a comprehensive free trade agreement with the European Union, but will consider progress in June. Decide whether to withdraw from trade negotiations. This means that at the end of this year, the United Kingdom may still advocate ending the "Brexit" transition period without a trade agreement between Britain and Europe.
The document emphasizes that Britain hopes to reach a comprehensive free trade agreement with the European Union similar to the European Union and Canada, covering almost all trade. To this end, the United Kingdom has also referred to trade agreements between the EU and Japan, South Korea and other countries.
The document states that Britain is committed to clarifying the general framework of the trade agreement by June after several rounds of negotiations, and to finalize the agreement quickly by September. If the negotiations are not as expected by June, the government will need to decide whether its attention should shift from negotiations to preparations for an orderly exit from the transition period.
The British Cabinet Secretary Goff also emphasized when answering questions in the lower house of parliament that day that the United Kingdom hopes to reach a comprehensive free trade agreement with the EU in the next 10 months. Britain will not use sovereignty in exchange as a condition for negotiations. If an agreement cannot be reached by June The general framework is that Britain will decide to withdraw from trade negotiations.
Britain formally "Brexit" and entered the transition period on January 31. British Prime Minister Johnson has repeatedly promised that he will reach a trade agreement with the EU during the transition period ending December 31 this year and is not ready to extend the transition period. If the UK and Europe cannot reach a trade agreement by then, the trade relationship between the two sides will return to WTO rules. Public opinion believes that this result will be a "double loss" for Britain and Europe, which are important trading partners for each other.
However, Charles Powell, a member of the National Security Strategy Committee of the British Parliament and a member of the Upper House of the British Parliament, said in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that the return of Britain and Europe to the WTO rules may cause some inconvenience to bilateral trade, but "not the world end".
Britain and Europe plan to officially start trade talks on March 2. The document released by the British government on the same day also pointed out that, in addition to the comprehensive free trade agreement, the two sides will reach separate agreements on fisheries, criminal law enforcement and judicial cooperation, and aviation, energy and civil nuclear cooperation.