| Sixth China-ASEAN Expo opens to embrace free trade area |
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| Tuesday,October 20,2009 Posted: 12:11 BJT(0411 GMT) |
| From:www.chinaview.cn Article type:Reproduced |
A high profile exposition co-hosted by China and ten southeast Asian countries opened here on Tuesday to make final preparations for Asia's largest free trade area (FTA) amid the lingering global economic downturn.
The China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Expo is a platform initiated by Chinese premier Wen Jiabao six years ago to enhance connectivity and strengthen communication and consultation between China and countries in this region. This is the sixth of the annual event. Main exhibition halls are decorated with signs and patterns of the new FTA.
The FTA covers a population of 1.9 billion in this region and creates a combined GDP of nearly 6 trillion US dollars.
Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang announced its opening at a ceremony of the Expo in Nanning, capital city of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
State leaders, high ranking officials and businessmen from the ten ASEAN countries and China attended the ceremony.
The ten ASEAN countries are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, with a total area of 4.5 million square kilometers.
In a time of rising global trade barriers, the Expo this year is seen as an important opportunity to strengthen communication and consultation on the China-ASEAN FTA, which will be realized by January 1, 2010.
"China and ASEAN share strong historical trading ties, and strengthening trade and economic cooperation with China is important for ASEAN," said Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary General of ASEAN at the ceremony.
"China grows, ASEAN grows," he said.
This year the Expo would play a more important role as China and ASEAN will soon witness the due FTA establishment next year, he said.
The Expo this year is of special significance, as China and ASEAN will soon witness the launch of the FTA, and the Expo would thus further enhance the ASEAN-China strategic partnership, said Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh.
Laos acts as the Country of Honor at the Expo this year.
The China-ASEAN FTA is the first free trade area agreement signed by China that would provide zero tariff on 90 percent of products traded between China and ASEAN and other favorable policies on trade and investment.
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