"RCEP provides a good opportunity for member states to open their markets and expand their market scope, and can promote economic and trade cooperation among member states." Anna Robenio, Advisor to the Secretary-General of ASEAN and Deputy Secretary-General of the ASEAN Economic Community, held the "2023 RCEP local Government and Sister Cities Cooperation (Huangshan) Forum”, said at the forum.
With the theme of "Regional Cooperation for a Win-Win Future", this forum held in Huangshan City, Anhui Province released a strong signal that the member states of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) should strengthen regional cooperation and share development opportunities.
At the forum, 2 sister city friendship projects, 6 economic and trade cooperation projects, and 5 humanities cooperation projects were signed, involving artificial intelligence and blockchain, cultural tourism, education and medical care and other fields.
Laos Attapeu Provincial Party Committee Secretary and Governor Le Sai Yapeng said that Attapeu Province and Anhui Province have signed a contract to establish a friendly inter-provincial relationship, which is a sign of a new level of local relations between Laos and China. In the future, the cooperation between the two sides will be promoted. Bloom and bear fruit.
From economy and trade to people-to-people and cultural exchanges, representatives of participating RCEP member states expressed their expectations for strengthening cooperation.
"The different climatic conditions of the RCEP member countries provide an excellent environment for the production and processing of different agricultural products. We will further leverage this advantage to promote development and cooperation." Vice President of Thailand's Chia Pokphand Group, a multinational enterprise operating in agricultural product processing, pharmaceuticals and other fields Zeng Jinsong said on the forum.
Zhang Mingzhi, president of Japan Enjoy Travel Co., Ltd., said that it is possible to actively promote cultural exchange projects between local governments of RCEP member countries, make full use of the unique natural landscapes, historical sites and cultural experiences of each country, vigorously develop cross-border tourism routes, and provide more abundant tourism resources. , more diverse and unique cross-border tourism products.
Promote trade development, promote resource flow, and strengthen the multilateral trading system... By deepening regional cooperation and exchanges, RCEP can give full play to the advantages of each member country and release the potential of local cooperation.
"The development potential of the regional industrial chain mainly depends on the echelon structure, that is, different economies in the region are in different positions in the industrial chain, forming the complementarity of industrial types and different links. The industrial types of the RCEP regional industrial chain are diverse and the division of labor is deep. Therefore, There is great potential for development." Su Qingyi, deputy director of the International Trade Research Office of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said.
While promoting economic and trade development, this regional cooperation has also created more job opportunities, brought advanced production capacity, and promoted the optimization of industrial and supply chains.
Conch Group's Conch Cement Project in Battambang, Cambodia, can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 200,000 tons per year through the application of biomass alternative fuel systems. This system combines the advantages of large-scale rice cultivation in Cambodia and uses rice husks as fuel, which protects the environment while reducing the company's production costs.
"The production lines of Conch's overseas projects all adopt the most advanced technology and equipment facilities, import advanced equipment manufacturing, process technology, and management technology to the country where the investment is located, and also provide a large number of local jobs, promoting the development of related industries and Cultivation of localized talents.” said Yang Jun, Chairman of Conch Group.
According to Yang Jun, Conch Group currently has an investment scale of over 13 billion yuan in RCEP member countries such as Indonesia, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia, and has nearly 4,500 overseas employees.
"Chinese companies investing in and building factories in Indonesia can bring us advanced technologies and increase the added value of products. These technologies have been localized and applied in Indonesia, which has contributed to the adjustment and upgrading of Indonesia's supply chain." Li Yuansheng, chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce in China, said, Today, many battery factories serving new energy vehicles can also be seen in Indonesia, which is famous for its iron ore exports.
"Through RCEP, member states can effectively respond to changes in the global trade environment. In an environment where trade protectionism is on the rise, RCEP is of great significance to promoting common prosperity in the region." Hong Zhangpyo, general representative of the China Regional Headquarters of the Korea Trade and Investment Promotion Corporation explain.