China's free trade agreements have been helpful in boosting trade volumes.

One year after China and Australia signed a free trade agreement, tariffs have been lowered two times, helping to lift Australia's exports to China. Items that were particularly feeling the benefits include health and diary products and wine. In fact, China has become Australia's biggest wine export destination.

According the FTA between China and South Korea, over 90 percent of goods in trade are expected to have zero tariffs in 20 years. Experts say that will effectively narrow the fall of South Korean exports to China.

As a part of the China-South Korea FTA, China has designated Weihai in Shandong province as an economic cooperation zone. In the first half of 2016, Weihai imported some 17.1 billion yuan worth of goods from South Korea, which jumped 12.8 percent, and accounted for more than a third of the city's total imports.