On 9 July 2016, the ASEAN-China Economic and Technological Cooperation Lanzhou Forum, co-sponsored by the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) and the People's Government of Gansu Province, was held in Lanzhou. H.E. Mr. Li Rongcan, Vice Governor of Gansu Province, H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping, Secretary-General of ACC, H.E. Ms. Magdalene Teo, Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to China, Mr. Wasin Dhamavasi, Minister Counsellor of the Embassy of Thailand in China, Ms. Parinda Nirothsamabut, Commercial Counsellor of the Embassy of Thailand in China, Mr. Bui Huy Hoang, Commercial Counsellor of the Embassy of Viet Nam in China, Ms. Moungmixay Phonexay, Official of the Embassy of Lao PDR in China, Mr. Li Guanghui, Vice President of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce of China, and more than 150 people from relevant government departments and enterprises of Gansu Province attended the forum. Mr. Li Yuan, Director of Trade and Investment Division of ACC, hosted the forum.
Vice Governor Li Rongcan warmly welcomed the participants, and expressed his appreciation for ACC's contribution to promote ASEAN-China functional cooperation. He said that Gansu was an important stop of the Eurasian Continental Bridge, an important portal of China's opening up westward, and a sub-regional cooperation base. Gansu had abundant natural resources and superior investment environment. With the advancing of Western Development strategy and implementing of Belt and Road Iniative, late development advantage of Gansu had become increasingly prominent, which would provide broader development space for foreign entrepreneurs. The exchanges and cooperation between Gansu and ASEAN developed continuously, which brought out a new chapter. The total volume of import and export between Gansu and 10 ASEAN countries reached 9.435 billion RMB in 2015, and totalled 2.786 billion RMB in the first 4 months of this year. Up to now, there had been 17 Gansu enterprises investing directly in ASEAN countries, with 8.22 million USD cumulative investment. 102 ASEAN enterprises had been approved to invest in Gansu with a total investment of 209 million USD and a contractual utilization of foreign capital of 95.67 million USD. ASEAN pavilions were warmly welcomed and achieved new records of trade volume continuously in recent Lanzhou Fairs. Gansu would like to expand functional cooperation in all fields with ASEAN countries through exchanges and experience sharing, so as to realize common development and common prosperity.
Secretary-General Yang Xiuping noted that this forum was to promote ASEAN-China functional cooperation in trade and investment. It would provide the two sides with good opportunity to have in-depth communication, explore business opportunity, and achieve win-win results. ACC had actively participated and sponsored this big event since 2015 by setting up ASEAN Pavilion to encourage more ASEAN enterprises to participate in the exhibition. The exhibition area exceeded 1000 square metres this year. More and more enterprises from ASEAN countries were aware of the Lanzhou Fair and wished to promote their products on this platform. The year 2016 witnessed the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations. ASEAN-China relations had already become one of the most active and robust relations among ASEAN’s dialogue partners. To strengthen ASEAN-China economic and technological cooperation was in line with the interests of both sides and had great potential. Many ASEAN countries were in the stage of industrialization and urbanization which had a pressing need of foreign fund, equipment and technology support. China, in the meantime, was in the new phase of economic structural reform and upgrade, and was actively guiding its advantageous sectors and equipment and manufacturing industry to invest and set up business in ASEAN. It was our sincere hope that ASEAN and China, on the basis of continuous boosting of product trade, could strengthen economic and technological exchanges and cooperation in order to further promote bilateral industry upgrade and uplift the people’s livelihood. Secretary-General Yang also introduced the mandate of ACC and its efforts in promoting ASEAN-China functional cooperation.
Ambassador Magdalene Teo appreciated the thoughtful arrangements and warm reception of Gansu Provincial Government and ACC. She said that ASEAN and China signed the protocol for the upgraded CAFTA in Kuala Lumpur in November 2015, which embodied the common wishes of both sides to deepen and expand the trade and economic cooperation. The liberalization level of trade in goods of the existing China-ASEAN FTA was very high. Almost 95% of the products of both sides had realized zero tariffs. This year marked the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations, which also coincided with the 25th anniversary of the diplomatic ties between Brunei and China. She suggested that ASEAN and China should identify key areas for connectivity cooperation and work out a list of prioritised projects, and coordinate technical and financial resource mobilisation from both sides to better support financing for connectivity cooperation projects. Brunei hoped to further enhance economic cooperation with China, in areas such as agriculture, fishery, energy, production capacity, infrastructure, tourism, halal food processing and herbal medicine production, etc.. She hoped that more Chinese enterprises, including enterprises from Gansu would invest and set up their businesses in Brunei.
Thailand was the guest of honor of the 22nd Lanzhou Investment and Trade Fair. Ms. Parinda Nirothsamabut said that Thailand was along the Belt and Road, and Thailand and China enjoyed a long histroy of exchanges and close cooperation. In December 2015, the 4th Meeting of Thailand-China Joint Committee on Trade, Investment and Economic Cooperation reached a number of consensus on strengthening matching of development strategies, including expanding cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, production capacity, infrastructure, tourism, finance, quality control, communication, and space technology. It also set the new targets in doubling bilateral trade volume in the future 5 years, and increasing mutual visits of tourists to 10 million. Although the bilateral trade volume between Thailand and Gansu was still low with simple trade products, there were huge potential for bilateral trade since the two sides had strong economic complementarity. Gansu had advantages in petrochemical industry, non-ferrous metal manufacturing, equipment manufacturing and energy industry. Gansu could expand its market in Southeast Asia through cooperation with Thailand. Food processing and agricultural products processing industry of Thailand could enter Northwest China through Gansu. Gansu enterprises were welcomed to visit and invest in Thailand, so as to further promote bilateral economic and trade relations.
Mr. Bui Huy Hoang noted that Viet Nam was implementing the opening up and international economic integration policy, and it was in the process of fully integrating itself into world economy. The investment environment had improved a lot, as well as relevant laws and regulations. Viet Nam would welcome foreign enterprises to invest on the base of equality, mutual benefit, and win-win. Economic and trade cooperation had become the highlight in Viet Nam-China relations. China had been continuously the biggest trade partner of Viet Nam for many years, while Viet Nam had been one of the most important trade partners of China in Southeast Asia. China was only the 9th investment source country of Viet Nam, and there were lots of opportunites for investment cooperation. The economies of Viet Nam and Gansu were complementary with each other, and the two sides could cooperate in the areas of agriculture, manufacturing, new energy, high technology, chemical industry, infrastructure building and so on.
Mr. Li Guanghui delivered a keynote speech themed "Seize the opportunity of a new round of opening up and reform, Construct a new system of open economy". According to him, in order to adapt to the new situation of economic globalization, China should widen opening up internally and externally, promote free and orderly flow of international and domestic factors, realize efficient allocation of resources, deepen market integration, and speed up the cultivation of new competitive advantages in international economic cooperation. He emphasized that the protocol for the upgraded CAFTA had a comprehensive improvement on the rules of origin, and increased the fields of economic and technological cooperation, which would help the enterprises of both sides to take advantage of the preferential policies of CAFTA. He noted that Gansu was located in the golden area of the Belt and Road, and was also in a stage of rapid economic development. Gansu should identify the direction of development on the basis of its advantages and characteristics, cultivate major industry and build industrial chains, so as to lay the foundation for its economic development. To build the new pattern of its opening up, Gansu should conduct both “bringing in” and “going global” strategies, cooperate closely with Central Asia, West Asia and ASEAN, build a platform of trade logistics, and explore a new model of investment cooperation.
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