On the 1st, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao sent a letter to New Zealand Minister of trade and export growth O'Connor, who formally applied to New Zealand, the depositary of the digital economy partnership agreement (depa), on behalf of China. The Ministry of Commerce said that applying to join depa is in line with China's direction of further deepening domestic reform and expanding high-level opening to the outside world, and will help China strengthen cooperation in the field of digital economy and promote innovation and sustainable development with its members under the new development pattern. Next, China will carry out follow-up work with the members in accordance with the relevant depa procedures. (outlook new era)