A senior Chinese official says official negotiations for a free trade agreement between South Korea and China will begin next year.

A Chinese online portal said Thursday that China's Vice Commerce Minister Jiang Zengwei on Tuesday told a news conference that Beijing plans to launch FTA talks with Seoul next year.

Jiang reportedly made the remarks after signing an economic cooperation agreement with Taiwan.

China has maintained a positive stance towards a swift launch of FTA talks with Seoul, but it is the first time for a senior official to mention a specific schedule for the talks.

Meanwhile, an official at the South Korean Embassy in China downplayed the remarks, saying that no specific agreement was made on the matter between the two nations.