Chinese port
© AP Photo/ Andy Wong
The Chinese ambassador to Ukraine proposed to establish a free trade zone between the two countries.

China has come up with a plan to establish a free trade zone with Ukraine, Chinese Ambassador Du Wei said Monday at an economic forum in Kiev.

"The Chinese side has made an ambitious proposal at the working level, which is the creation of a Ukrainian-Chinese free trade area, in the hope that the Ukrainian side will look into this issue," the Chinese diplomat said.

Ukraine's Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the European Union came into effect last January. This arrangement suspended a similar deal between Ukraine and Russia.