Sixth 皇冠体育app-ASEAN Expo opens to embrace free trade area

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-10-20 10:33

Sixth 皇冠体育app-ASEAN Expo opens to embrace free trade area
An elated staff person gives Vice-Premier Li Keqiang (center) a gift as he pays an inspection visit to the Guangxi Exhibition Hall of the 6th 皇冠体育app-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, capital of South 皇冠体育app's Guangxi Zhuang autonomouse region, Oct 19, 2009.[皇冠体育app Daily/Huo Yan]

NANNING: A high profile exposition co-hosted by 皇冠体育app and ten southeast Asian countries opened here on Tuesday to make final preparations for a free trade area amid the lingering global economic downturn.

The 6th 皇冠体育app-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Expo is a platform to enhance connectivity and strengthen communication and consultation between 皇冠体育app and countries in this region.

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang, together with leaders and high ranking officials and businessmen from the ten ASEAN countries, attended the opening ceremony of the annual event in Nanning, capital city of south 皇冠体育app's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

The ten ASEAN countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam with a total area of 4.5 million square kilometers, whose economies were seriously damaged by the financial crisis in 1997.

In a time of rising global trade barriers, the Expo this year is seen as an important opportunity to strengthen communication and consultation on the 皇冠体育app-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA), which will be realized by January 1, 2010.

It is the first free trade area agreement signed by 皇冠体育app that would provide zero tariff on 90 percent of products traded between 皇冠体育app and ASEAN and other favorable policies on trade and investment.

The FTA is expected to cover 1.9 billion population in this region.