ACC Secretary-General Attended the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road & Promoting International Production Capacity and Equipment Manufacturing Cooperation Forum

On 19 September 2015, the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road & Promoting International Production Capacity and Equipment Manufacturing Cooperation Forum,themed on “Complementary Development and Revitalizing Together”, was held in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) Secretary-General H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping attended the Forum and delivered a speech.

H.E. Mr. Ning Jizhe, Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission, H.E. Mr. Chen Wu and H.E. Mr. Zhang Xiaoqin, Governor and Vice Governor of the People's Government of Guangxi, H.E. U. Tin Oo Lwin, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar, H.E. Mr. Bounthavy Sysouphanthong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Laos, H.E. Mr. Chhoun Dara, Secretary of State of Ministry of Commerce of Cambodia, H.E. Dttuk Seri Jebasingam Issace Hohn, Chief Executive Officer of the East Coast Economic Region Department of Malaysia and more than 300 delegates from governmental organizations of China and the countries along the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, heads of the international institutions, renowned experts and scholars, as well as business elites and representatives from the news media attended the Forum.

H.E. Mr. Ning Jizhe, Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission, delivered a keynote speech, themed on “21st Century Maritime Silk Road & Promoting International Production Capacity and Equipment Manufacturing Cooperation”. He said China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) and China-ASEAN Business Investment Summit (CABIS), which were the platforms to promote pragmatic cooperation and provide a multiple communication opportunity for entrepreneurs and industry around the world, had played an important role between China and ASEAN Member States. The purpose of the Forum was to communicate the ideas and thoughts, enhance mutual understanding, construct future platforms for cooperation, and jointly explore to establish an effective mechanism of production capacity cooperation between China and countries along the Maritime Silk Road, pragmatically advancing the key cooperation projects. He pointed out that strengthening an international cooperation production capacity was the only way to speed up the transformation and upgrading of China's own economy and promote the global economic recovery, which was a prerequisite to win-win cooperation between China and ASEAN. He emphasized that conducting of the international cooperation production capacity should adhere to the principles of both moral and interest, mutual benefit and win-win progress, open and inclusive in market operation. He suggested to further strengthening the exchanges, deepening pragmatic cooperation between the governments, and improving the investment environment, as well as strengthening financial sector cooperation.

H.E. Mr. Chen Wu, Governor of the People's Government of Guangxi, expressed that carry out the international cooperation production capacity was a need for the implementation of "One Belt One Road" initiative. It was important to expand the areas of cooperation, deepen cooperation connotations and consolidate China-ASEAN cooperation. Guangxi is the biggest platform and an important bridge connecting to the regional cooperation. The development of food, automobile, petrochemical, electric power, steel, cement, oil refining and other industries had formed a good basis for the international cooperation production capacity . He recommended on creating conditions of cross-border investment and innovation cooperation mechanisms and supporting domestic enterprises to go global through investment cooperation.

H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ACC, expressed that the global economy had been in great adjustment at the present, therefore, promoting the international cooperation in production capacity became an important means to revitalize the real economy. Most countries in ASEAN had been in the early stages of industrialization, facing urgent needs of development in infrastructure construction, so a large amount of equipments was required. China entered the mid-industrialization and its economy scale was large, having more than 200 kinds of industrial products output ranked first in the world. The level of equipment quality was in the middle of the global industrial chain with cost-effective. Cooperation between China and ASEAN would not only help reduce the cost of procurement of ASEAN and industrial development, but also yield benefits to China's economic transformation and upgrading.

H.E. Mr. Zhou Liu Jun, Director-General of the Department of Foreign Investment and Economic Cooperation, Ministry of Commerce of China, stated that economic, trade and investment cooperation between China and ASEAN had rapidly progressed and deepened. China and ASEAN also had a fruitful infrastructure cooperation and made steady progress in production capacity cooperation. He suggested to discuss the key areas in conformity with the needs of ASEAN countries, make pragmatic advance in the implementation of the key projects and increase financial support in capacity cooperation as well as infrastructure construction.

H.E. U. Tin Oo Lwin, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar, H.E. Mr. Bounthavy Sysouphanthong, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Investment of Laos, H.E. Mr. Chhoun Dara, Secretary of State of Ministry of Commerce of Cambodia, and H.E. Dttuk Seri Jebasingam Issace Hohn, Chief Executive Officer of the East Coast Economic Region Department of Malaysia, also delivered speeches at the Forum. They expressed that the "One Belt One Road" initiative and the AIIB were of great significance to help economic development in ASEAN countries. Economies of ASEAN countries were driving into a fast lane and need to be stepped up in infrastructure construction, and to upgrade equipment manufacturing capacity, therefore, there was an urgent need to strengthen cooperation with China in production capacity. ASEAN countries were rich in labour and natural resources. They welcomed Chinese enterprises to invest in ASEAN and would like to strengthen cooperation with China in production capacity, transportation, industrial manufacturing, logistics parks, technology transfer, to achieve mutual benefits and win-win outcome.

At the Forum, the National Development and Reform Commission of China and the competent governmental departments on production capacity cooperation from ASEAN countries held bilateral talks. Representatives of the enterprises from different countries also participated in the international economic cooperation exhibitions, international production capacity and investment cooperation exhibitions, international production and capacity and equipment manufacturing project matchmaking fairs, and other related investment promotion activities.