On 28 November 2020, co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of China, ministries in charge of economy, commerce and trade of the ASEAN Member States (AMS), the ASEAN Secretariat and the People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, the 10th Anniversary Forum on the Full Establishment of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) was successfully held in Nanning International Convention & Exhibition Centre.
Mr. Lan Tianli, Acting Chairman of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Mr. Li Chenggang, Assistant Minister of Commerce of China, diplomats of AMS and Mr. Chen Dehai, Secretary-General of ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) attended and addressed the forum. Mr. Lim Jock Hoi, Secretary-General of ASEAN, together with AMS ministers in charge of economy, commerce and trade made video remarks. A total number of 300 people attended the forum, including representatives of the Chinese local governments, research institutions and international organisations, as well as business leaders from China and the AMS.
Acting Chairman Lan Tianli mentioned in his welcome remarks that Guangxi takes an active part in and benefits from the increasingly close ASEAN-China economic and trade cooperation, and is willing to play a more important role as a platform with geographical advantages to build the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor together with other parties concerned. Guangxi will endeavor to promote trade and investment facilitation, tackle the COVID-19 pandemic and maintain the stability of regional industrial and supply chains by strengthening cooperation in science and technological innovation, port logistics, digital economy, e-commerce and other industries.
Assistant Minister Li Chenggang said that the CAFTA has brought tangible benefits to the people of both sides over the past 10 years, greatly promoted the process of regional economic integration and laid a solid foundation for the RCEP. China will open wider to the outside world, create a new pattern of development whereby domestic and foreign markets can reinforce each other, and work with the AMS to build a closer ASEAN-China community with a shared future and inject a strong impetus into the regional and world economic development.
In the video remarks, Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi and AMS ministers all spoke highly of the achievements of ASEAN-China cooperation over the past 10 years since the establishment of the CAFTA. Suggestions were also put forward to make better use of the FTA, deepen bilateral economic and trade cooperation, accelerate regional economic integration, and help the regional and global economic recovery.
Secretary-General Chen Dehai delivered a speech in the session of “CAFTA Upgrading and Practical Actions”. He said that 2020 is the ASEAN-China Year of Digital Economy Cooperation. Chinese President Xi Jinping, in his video speech at the opening ceremony of the 17th China-ASEAN Expo, called on both sides to create more cooperation highlights in the fields of digital cooperation such as smart cities, 5G, AI, e-commerce, big data, block chain and tele-medicine, so as to jointly building the “Digital Silk Road”.
With the theme of “Join Hands to Build an Open and Integrated China-ASEAN Market”, the forum was an important part of the 17th China-ASEAN Expo. Participants discussed the significance of the CAFTA Upgrading Protocol to global economic development after it comes into full effect, focusing on the key issues in the integration of ASEAN-China market.
During his stay in Nanning, Secretary-General Chen Dehai also attended the opening ceremony of the 17th China-ASEAN Expo and visited the Expo pavilions with other guests.
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