China and South Korea have jointly launched an economic and trade cooperation online initiative to provide comprehensive and timely information services to enterprises aiming at information technology exchanges and cooperation in both countries.

The U.S.-based information services company Information Services Group, has announced that its business unit TPI, said to be the largest sourcing data and advisory firm in the world, has signed an agreement to help Huaqiao, a satellite zone of Shanghai, take the lead in expanding the outsourcing market in China.

According to Qiu Changheng, vice president of Alipay, China's first e-commerce credit system is expected to be launched by the end of 2009 and the system will fully cover small and medium-sized enterprises and individual users.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, China has protested the European Union's decision to impose anti-dumping duties on seamless steel pipe imported from China and expects the EU to end its anti-dumping investigation.

Chinese Internet auction and e-commerce website Taobao.com has announced that its trade value in 2008 reached CNY99.96 billion, making it one of the largest comprehensive shopping platforms in China.

The European Union has passed a new dictate on toy safety which reportedly has listed Chinese toy makers as the main target of supervision as the "Made in China" toys have taken up the majority of Europe's toy market.

The Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization has published a report on the settlement of the automotive component disputes between China and the three parties of the United States, the European Union, and Canada.

Kiwa Bio-Tech Products (Shandong) Co., Ltd. has signed fertilizer sales contracts totaling CNY150 million with Jilin Tianma Science & Technology of Agriculture Co., Ltd. and other distributors.

To better regulate online transactions in China, the Ministry of Commerce has drafted and is soliciting comments from the public on two new rules: the E-commerce Pattern Regulation and Online Shopping Service Regulation.

Approved by the State Council, China has initiated quota license administration on export of wheat, corn and rice flour.