BEIJING -- Differences should be respected as countries push forward with economic integration in Asia and the Pacific, a Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said Friday.

"All parties concerned agreed at the 2010 APEC Economic Leaders' Meetings held in Yokohama that all existing and planned free-trade mechanisms, including the 10+3, 10+6 and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, can be feasibly used to establish a free-trade zone in Asia and the Pacific," spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a daily news briefing in response to a question regarding Japan's plan to join the TPP talks.

Media reports have stated that Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will announce late Friday that Japan will look to join the TPP trade liberalization talks.

Hua said that since the TPP, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and free-trade talks among China, Japan and the Republic of Korea are going ahead at the same time, all sides should respect reality and attend relative talks with the intent to aid economic development in the region.

"Under the current circumstances, we should consider the differences and diversification of the regional economic situation and push ahead with regional economic integration using the principles of openness, inclusiveness and transparency," she said.