Residents have gathered in Red Square this afternoon to voice their concerns about Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement.

Trade ministers from the twelve participating countries, including New Zealand, will be meeting at the same time in Beijing to try to bring the secretive negotiations to a close after more than four years.

People are showing their opposition to TPPA.

Tauranga's rally joins 17 towns and cities in taking a stand against TPPA.

'There has been a massive response to the call for Kiwis to fight back against a deal that puts the interests of big corporations ahead of ordinary people,” says Its Our Future spokesperson Edward Miller.

'Thousands have signed up to attend on Facebook, and if even half of those join us it would make it much bigger than the day of action held on 29 March this year.”

President of the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Helen Kelly says: 'We are urging people to support this day of action because the TPPA contains threats to our health system, our public services, our ability to use government purchasing to develop our economy and improve our environment and working conditions, and our right to make changes to our laws and regulations in the interests of most New Zealanders.”

The TPPA increases the power of international corporations and reduces the power of elected governments and their citizens to resist corporate demands.

'It is the wrong kind of international agreement for working people, New Zealand and the world,” adds Helen.

Executive Director of Greenpeace Bunny McDiarmid says that, 'this anti-trade deal should be stopped. It puts the interests of foreign corporates above those of kiwis and is a threat to our seas, our air, our economy and our health.”