On May 21, the "2023 RCEP Regional Development Media Think Tank Forum" with the theme of "Building the World's Largest Free Trade Zone" was held in Haikou, Hainan. The forum was co-sponsored by the Propaganda Department of Hainan Provincial Party Committee, China Daily, and China (Hainan) Reform and Development Research Institute. Representatives from more than 10 countries and international organizations, including China, Singapore, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, etc., focused on "RCEP and regional economic integration development" and "accelerated the release of RCEP dividends to promote regional economic growth. Exchanges and discussions were held on topics such as "jointly building a high-level and largest free trade zone".
Since the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) came into effect more than a year ago, the dividends of promoting regional trade and investment growth and economic recovery have been continuously released. How to implement RCEP with high quality, jointly build the world's largest free trade area, effectively promote the deepening of regional economic integration, and inject more momentum into regional and global trade and investment growth has become an important issue of common concern to all parties.
Ong Shijie, chairman of Malaysia's New Asia Strategic Research Center, said that RCEP is essentially an inclusive super-large free trade agreement, which aims to share economic development dividends, promote open cooperation, and achieve common prosperity in the region. This is a hard-won achievement, marking the victory of multilateral cooperation and free trade.
Luo Siyi, former director of the London Economic and Business Policy Agency and a senior researcher at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China, said that the contribution of RCEP to world economic growth will continue to increase. Thanks to the effective implementation of RCEP, the role of developing economies in global economic growth will be greatly enhanced.
Yi Xiaozhun, former deputy director-general of the World Trade Organization, believes that RCEP has effectively promoted China's institutional opening, further enriched the connotation of China's opening up, and also promoted economic globalization to become more open, inclusive, inclusive, balanced, and win-win. direction of development.
Chi Fulin, president of the China (Hainan) Reform and Development Research Institute, said that accelerating the construction of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 is an important measure to pragmatically promote high-level opening up. A high-level open China will form an important driving force for the construction of version 3.0 of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.
Qu Yingpu, president and editor-in-chief of China Daily, said that the media and think tanks are the vanguards in promoting exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations. The media needs to actively tell the story of RCEP, work hand in hand with all parties, and make greater contributions to promoting regional exchanges and cooperation.
Wang Bin, member of the Standing Committee of the Hainan Provincial Party Committee and head of the Propaganda Department, said that Hainan will continue to take the initiative to make good use of and integrate into RCEP, and strive to become an important meeting point between China and other RCEP markets for high-standard international economic and trade rules.
Benjamin, deputy director of the Thai Embassy in China, said that Thailand is willing to further expand and deepen cooperation with Hainan, and looks forward to more cooperation with other provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in China.