On February 7, the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 negotiation launched the first round of consultations. Economic ministers from both sides conducted in-depth discussions on the procedural rules, organizational arrangements and work plans of the negotiations, and formulated a timetable and route for subsequent negotiations. picture. In this regard, the reporter interviewed Xu Ningning, executive chairman of the China-ASEAN Business Council and chairman of the RCEP Industrial Cooperation Committee.
Xu Ningning said that the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area is the first free trade area established by China and ASEAN with the outside world, aiming to promote cooperation through opening up and achieve development through cooperation. The establishment of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area originated in 2000. After ten years of construction, the 1.0 version of the free trade area was completed in 2010, and the zero tariff on trade in goods covered more than 90% of the tax items of both parties. In 2019, the 2.0 version of the free trade area was implemented. Upgrade, the two sides further open the market. At the China-ASEAN Leaders' Meeting to be held in November 2022, it was announced that China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 upgrade negotiations would be launched.
2022 is the 25th anniversary of the outbreak of the Southeast Asian financial crisis in 1997. Xu Ningning said that after the outbreak of the financial crisis in Southeast Asia, China implemented a series of measures to help Southeast Asia get out of the crisis. The outbreak and response to this financial crisis have largely promoted the mutual opening of markets between China and ASEAN to build a free trade area. The establishment of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, the construction of version 2.0 and the upgrading of the free trade area, and the current version 3.0 of the free trade area are all proposed by the Chinese side. Approval and response reflect the common desire of both sides to deepen and expand economic and trade cooperation.
Xu Ningning pointed out that over the past 20 years, the construction of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area has achieved remarkable results, which is the crystallization of mutual achievements and a shared destiny between the two sides. China has maintained its status as ASEAN's largest trading partner every year since 2009, and ASEAN has been China's largest trading partner every year since 2020. In 2022, trade and investment between the two sides will grow against the trend. China's trade with ASEAN will account for an increasing proportion of China's foreign trade. China's comprehensive cooperation with ASEAN in trade, investment, and infrastructure construction will contribute to ASEAN's economic recovery.
Xu Ningning believes that the achievement of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area construction benefits from the continuous consolidation and development of comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN and its member states, political and business communication; thanks to the two sides injecting new vitality into cooperation from time to time, In particular, the joint construction of the "Belt and Road" has brought vitality to the development of the free trade zone; thanks to the active promotion of interconnection and cooperation in various fields, the sub-regional economic cooperation between the two sides is innovative and pragmatic, and the local economic and trade cooperation between the two sides is becoming increasingly active. The industrial cooperation continues to deepen; thanks to the positive actions of the enterprises of the two sides to cooperate in the development of the free trade zone, the economy and trade are highly complementary and bring more business opportunities.
Xu Ningning said that the construction of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 will include cooperation in fields of common concern such as digital economy, green economy, supply chain connection, competitiveness, consumer protection, small, medium and micro enterprises, and will promote mutual trade between China and ASEAN. , new developments in investment and trade in services will provide new impetus to the economic development of both sides, and will accelerate the construction of a closer China-ASEAN community of destiny; will promote the process of Asia-Pacific economic integration, and the "Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement" (RCEP) The implementations complement each other, promote each other, and bring innovation and incentives to the RCEP regional opening and cooperation, and help the construction of RCEP; it will attract more multinational companies from outside the region to invest in the free trade zone.
Xu Ningning suggested that as countries in the region open their markets to each other, entrepreneurs need to develop and innovate in a series of aspects such as business ideas, organizational models, and production technologies, and speed up the pace of cooperation in innovation. Chinese enterprises not only need to understand and master the new policy of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, but also understand the relevant institutional arrangements and development trends of the ASEAN Economic Community, and understand the free trade agreements signed between ASEAN and other countries, which is conducive to the development of Chinese enterprises in ASEAN. While the country develops, it can also open up a broader international market. In today's international market competition, whoever can make good use of free trade agreements will have a chance of winning.
Xu Ningning finally said that the economic and trade relations between China and ASEAN have never been as close and active as they are today. The in-depth development of this relationship brought about by the construction of version 3.0 of the Free Trade Zone will benefit the economies of all countries in the Free Trade Zone, the economy of East Asia and even to the growth of the world economy. The relationship between China and ASEAN has stood at a new historical starting point. It is believed that with the joint efforts of both sides, China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation will achieve a historic new leap.
