The Chinese commerce ministry says China will study the possibility of joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks.
A meeting of regional trade ministers in Indonesia in April formally approved Japan's entry into the negotiations.
The 11 nations already in talks are the United States, Canada, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Australia and New Zealand.
A Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson, Shen Danyang, says China will analyse the pros and cons of joining the TPP according to principles of equality and mutual benefit, Reuters reports.
Mr Shen said China, which has attached importance to the TPP talks, has been soliciting the opinions of various government departments and industries on the trade pact.
The TPP talks are officially slated to conclude this year, although many trade experts expect them to stretch into 2014.
