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China-ASEAN tie-up to scale a new height
Last Updated: 2013-05-13 13:21 | CE.cn
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By Li Hongmei

 

 

 

 

 

The year 2013 marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of China-ASEAN strategic partnership.

On the occasion of celebrating the milestone event, China Economic Net joins hands with China-ASEAN Business Council to present a series of online interviews with the diplomats from 10 ASEAN nations, in an effort to help promote the China-ASEAN economic and trade relationship and elevate the bilateral strategic partnership to a new height. 

In 2003, with the deepening of the all-round cooperation, China and ASEAN established strategic partnership for peace and prosperity toward the 21st century. China and ASEAN have since developed and consolidated a good-neighborly and mutual-trust partnership.

China applauds the progress made in China-ASEAN relations over the past decade. 

The process of China-ASEAN partnership can be best summarized in the following interview China Economic Net had recently with Mr. Xu Ningning, Deputy Secretary General of China-ASEAN Business Council, Chinese Secretariat, and Mr. Xu is also a well-known expert for Southeast Asia and the business relations between China.

According to Mr. Xu, the much-expected birth of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA) in 2012 is the common pursuit of both China and ASEAN countries for common prosperity over adversity, friendly cooperation over animosity, and trade liberalization over protectionism.

'China, ASEAN should strengthen dialogue, cooperation'

China-ASEAN Free Trade Area owns 1.9 billion consumers, over 90% of the products trading between Chin and 10 ASEAN countries enjoy zero tariff.

Xu has therefore stressed China and ASEAN should further strengthen dialogue and cooperation and bring the bilateral relationship to a higher level.

"China-ASEAN relations have developed into one of ASEAN's most comprehensive, dynamic and fast-growing partnerships," Xu said.

"To know the situation of FTA is not enough, what matters most is to take action, and to take full advantage of the economic and trade complementarity between China and ASEAN," Xu added.

"Taking action promptly can achieve 'win space by time' and grasping business opportunities can win a larger market area and more investment cooperation," Mr.Xu explained.

Xu also said in the past years China and ASEAN have been actively engaging each other through various mechanisms of regional cooperation such as ASEAN plus One, ASEAN plus Three, the ASEAN Regional Forum and East Asian Summit to pursue concerted efforts in addressing issues of common concern and interest.

"For the community building, we have a lot of work to be done from now to 2015. We have seen many potentials for furthering cooperation between China and ASEAN," said Xu, adding that China and ASEAN need to continue engagement and deepen existing cooperation while exploring new areas of collaboration. Both sides should work closely on, implementing ASEAN Connectivity activities and addressing the challenges.

"Mutually beneficial cooperation has continued to expand."

China and ASEAN countries are close neighbors linked by mountains and rivers. The intimate and mutual beneficial economic cooperation is the inevitable choice to consolidate and develop the comprehensive strategic partnership between both sides, Xu Ningning believes.

China-ASEAN cooperation has branched out to cover a wide variety including economy and trade, agriculture and information. The building of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area is now completed. China is now ASEAN's largest trading partner, while ASEAN is China's fourth largest trading partner. Cooperation in mutual investment and finance has made enormous headway and shows a momentum of strong growth.

The ten ASEAN countries -- Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam adopted in 2008 a charter aiming to form by 2015 a "community" based on three main pillars, namely ASEAN Political-Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community.

In this regard, Xu also saw potentials in the areas of disaster management, disease prevention and control, cultural exchange and tourism.

The sound growth of China-ASEAN relations has become an important factor for peace and stability in the region. Xu said The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), jointly issued by China and ASEAN countries, is an important contribution to peace and stability in the South China Sea.

In the course of China-ASEAN cooperation, China and ASEAN countries have got to know each other much better and our mutual understanding and mutual trust have substantially enhanced through dialogues and mutual support.

"It is my sincere hope and belief that with the concerted efforts from both China and ASEAN, China-ASEAN strategic partnership will scale a new height, and today's cooperation is for a better tomorrow," Xu Ningning was quoted as saying.

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