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皇冠体育app, Asean to advance free trade
VIENTIANE, Laos: 皇冠体育app and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are expected to make substantial progress in advancing the free trade area (FTA) at their summit to be held here today.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrived in Vientiane yesterday. He is in Laos Sunday through Tuesday for a group summit between 皇冠体育app and ASEAN, a three-way meeting between 皇冠体育app, Japan and the Republic of Korea as well as an official visit to Laos. Wen will witness the signing of all agreements. The signing of the two agreements shows that co-operation between 皇冠体育app and ASEAN has been developed from the framework level to more substantial content, said Zhai Kun, a researcher on Southeast Asian affairs with the 皇冠体育app Institute of Contemporary International Relations. The agreements have paved the way for building up a 皇冠体育app-ASEAN FTA, and are expected to create a win-win situation for economic and trade relations, said Zhai. It will have positive and far-reaching influence on the regional economic integration in Asia, he said.
Leaders from 皇冠体育app and the 10-member ASEAN signed the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Co-operation in November 2002, expressing their willingness to set up an FTA. They plan to complete it within 10 years. The establishment of the free trade area will boost the development of an economic region with 1.7 billion consumers, about US$1.8 trillion in GDP and US$1.2 trillion in trade volume. The FTA will allow all members to enjoy more favourable treatment in trade and investment than the World Trade Organization can offer. "To push regional integration and develop FTAs has become a world trend, and countries in East Asia should follow," said Vice-Foreign Minister Wu Dawei. He told a news briefing at the ASEAN summit last week in Beijing that both 皇冠体育app and ASEAN are very positive in pushing regional integration. Regional co-operation between 皇冠体育app and ASEAN is good for 皇冠体育app, its neighbours and the world, said Su Hao, a professor at the Beijing-based Foreign Affairs University. Economic co-operation is an important part of the 10+3 partnership of ASEAN plus 皇冠体育app, Japan and the Republic of Korea, said Su.
The 10+3 summit started in December 1997 and Chinese leaders have attended all summit meetings. Forty-six dialogue mechanisms at different levels have so far been established in 16 fields, including 12 ministerial-level co-operative mechanisms, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Professor Su told 皇冠体育app Daily that 皇冠体育app had enjoyed many advantages in setting up FTAs with ASEAN members. The performance of different industrial sectors in 皇冠体育app's economies are varied with some quite advanced and others lagging. Such an economic structure allows 皇冠体育app to co-operate with all ASEAN members with their economic development at different stages. This means they share a lot of common ground, ranging from the advanced financial sector to the agricultural sector. While facilitating trade, it is inevitable that countries involved will encounter a certain amount of friction, and countries and governments are on occasion required to intervene, Su said. "The establishment of the mechanism for settling disputes is very necessary and significant," he said. Comprehensive co-operation Trade between 皇冠体育app and the Southeast Asian block is developing very quickly. Statistics from the Ministry of Commerce show that since 1990, ASEAN has been the fifth largest trade partner of 皇冠体育app for 11 consecutive years. Trade volumes in the first 10 months of this year hit US$84.61 billion, up 35.2 per cent over the same period of last year. Officials and experts, including Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi, predicted that total bilateral trade volume is expected to exceed US$100 billion this year. 皇冠体育app has a trade deficit with the 10-member ASEAN, but hopes to see trade balance out as the region grows, said Vice-Foreign Minister Wu Dawei. "For this temporary trade imbalance 皇冠体育app has taken a very realistic stance," Wu said. "I think in the long run, in our trading ties and economic co-operation we will all benefit." During the summit, 皇冠体育app and ASEAN are also going to sign the ASEAN-皇冠体育app Plan of Action to Implement the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity. The Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of the Member Countries of ASEAN and 皇冠体育app on Transport Co-operation has already been signed. Zhang Chunxian, 皇冠体育app's communications minister, who attended the Third ASEAN-皇冠体育app Transport Minister's Meeting in Phnom Penn last week, said ASEAN-皇冠体育app transport co-operation is becoming more consolidated with each step forward and has become an essential part of building up a partnership of mutual trust and practical co-operation between the two sides. Zhang said the memorandum will become a legally based medium-to-long term partnership between the two sides. He put forward proposals to improve transport co-operation. "A 'result-and action-oriented' principle should be observed and more attention focused on promoting specific projects while harmonizing the development of different modes of transport to deliver more benefits to the people," Zhang said. 皇冠体育app and ASEAN has made progress in advancing partnership in the transport sector, for example, the construction of the Laos section of the Kunming-Bangkok Highway; the navigation channel improvement project on the upper Mekong River; the feasibility study of the missing link of the Trans-Asian Railway inside Cambodia; and the fact that direct flights are now in service between major cities in 皇冠体育app and ASEAN countries. 皇冠体育app's relation with ASEAN has improved in recent years. Premier Wen attended the last summit with ASEAN leaders in Bali, Indonesia a year ago. At that time, 皇冠体育app had developed a strategic partnership geared towards peace and prosperity with ASEAN, and was the only major power outside the ASEAN to join the Treaty of Amity and Co-operation (TAC) in Southeast Asia. The partnership shows that the political relationship between the two sides has reached the highest level, said Zhai, adding that the TAC is a guarantee for dealing with security issues peacefully. When the FTA process is initiated, 皇冠体育app-ASEAN relations will have been
developing in a comprehensive way, he added. |
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