2021 China-ASEAN New Year Celebrating & Enhancing Cooperation Activity
2021 China-ASEAN New Year Celebrating & Enhancing Cooperation Activity was co-held by ASEAN Committee Beijing (composed of embassies of ASEAN countries in China) and China-ASEAN Business Council(CABC) on April 16th in Beijing. 2021, marking the 30th year anniversary of the building of China-ASEAN dialogue, is an epoch-making year with enormous potential and prospect in bilateral cooperation, stated by H.E.Mr. Pehin Dato Rahmani Dato Basir, ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to China.
Brunei, as ASEAN chair, put forward the theme of “joint focus, efforts and prosperity” for ASEAN’s work in 2021, argued in the opening address of Mr. Rahmani at the opening ceremony. This very theme perfectly echos with the urgent demand for economic recovery against the backdrop of the pandemic, whose materialization requires constant and joint efforts by ASEAN and its dialogue partners including China.
He added that the past two decades have witnessed the annual series of events of 2021 China-ASEAN New Year Celebrating & Enhancing Cooperation Activity jointly held by the embassies of ASEAN countries in China and CABC. During these events, the annual awarding ceremonies and the bilateral trade cooperation conference enable experience sharing and further trade cooperation between the two sides. In this year’s event, the RCEP Industrial Cooperation Committee was also established, which will fuel business support for industrial cooperation, unleash potentials of regional cooperation and accelerate regional economic recovery.
Mr. Xu Ningning, Executive President of CABC, also proposed bilateral jointly focus on long-term with concrete efforts in short-term cooperation. Existent consensus must be implemented, including China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership 2030 Vision, Joint Declaration on China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity (2021-2025), China-ASEAN BRI Initiative and ASEAN General Plan for Interoperability 2025. He argued that we should give full play to the opportunities of the 30th anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Partnership in 2021, continuing expanding common interests in concerns and mutual benefits, further consolidate good neighborly and friendly relations, boost bilateral cooperation, and deliver fruitfulness of further effectiveness to the next three decades of cooperation.
Mr. Xu added that the current cooperation must feature epidemic containment and economic recovery, the twin priorities for such cooperation. And we will attached great importance to the integration of quality co-developing of BRI and ASEAN community development. Cooperative promotion of opening up RCEP region will be put into place for further cooperation expansion. And we will also work to strengthen strategic mutual trust and win-win development, the crux and impetus of bilateral cooperation. The current situation calls for detailed and practical implementation of China's construction of a new development pattern and cooperation of the ASEAN comprehensive recovery framework, catering both sides’ need to better seize opportunities and meet challenges.
In this very event, The China (Shanxi)-ASEAN Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference was also held. Mr.Lu Dongliang, Vice Governor of Shanxi Province, Mr. Xu Ningning, H.E.Ms. Khek Caimealy Sysoda, Cambodian ambassador to China and H.E.Ms. Khamphao Ernthavanh, Lao ambassador to China delivered addresses successively, with great confidence in the potential of Shanxi-ASEAN trade cooperation. The leaders of Shanxi Changzhi High-tech Industrial Development Zone and Huayuan International Land and Port Group also addressed, introducing business opportunities and expressing desire trade cooperation with ASEAN. In the end of this conference, CABC and the Shanxi Trade Promotion Council signed a MOU.
At the awarding ceremony, awarded by the host were “2020 Contribution Award for Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China–ASEAN Anti-Pandemic Economic Cooperation”, “2020 Contribution Award for Enterprises in China–ASEAN Anti-Pandemic Economic Cooperation”, “2020 Contribution Award for Provinces and Cities in China-ASEAN Anti-Pandemic Economic Cooperation” and “2020 Contribution Award for Media in China-ASEAN Anti-Pandemic Economic Cooperation”. Multiple excellent institutions and individuals stood out in support of China–ASEAN anti–pandemic cooperation last year, who also drove ASEAN forward to become China’s largest trading partner, remarked the host.
Unprecedentedly stricken by the pandemic, we will forge ahead in cooperation with joint efforts for economic rebound as unilateral endeavor goes nowhere, highlighted Mr. Francis Chua, founding president of the Philippine Silk Road International Chamber of Commerce. Singapore's manufacture gained ground against the headwind in 2020, output value of manufacture up by 7.3% compared with that of 2019, argued Douglas Foo, president of Singapore Manufacturers Federation. In the combat against the Covid-19 pandemic, Singapore was the first ASEAN country to establish “fast tracks” with China last June. And SMA will further its active promotion of Sino-Singapore trade cooperation in manufacture, in joint respond to challenges and opportunities.
The event also includes the Establishment Ceremony of RCEP Industrial Cooperation Committee. According to the cooperation needs and mutual consultation of RCEP industries and businesses, the committee is composed of representatives from 15 economies of RCEP and CABC, giving full play to the business associations in the RCEP industrial cooperation, implementing RCEP and promoting the cooperation between enterprises of RCEP member countries. And other speakers at this ceremony are Hakhee Jo, Vice President of Korea International Trade Association, Ju Dongying, President of China-Japanese Science and Technology Culture center, Ms. Eleanor Mak, President of Australian ASEAN Business Council, Mr. Michael, CEO of Auckland Chamber of Commerce, and Mr. Neak Oknha Pung Kheav Se, President of Association of Khmer Chinese in Cambodia. They argued that the establishment and operation of RCEP Industrial Cooperation Committee will spark the trade and investment promotion between enterprises, promoting the adjustment of regional industrial structure and industrial upgrading for the new momentum of regional economy.
At the event, the 2021 China-ASEAN New Year Celebrating & Enhancing Cooperation Activity was also held, participants in sound communication with each other upon cooperation and development.
Liu Xin, the Executive Secretary General of the China ASEAN Business Council, said that the 2021 China-ASEAN New Year Celebrating & Enhancing Cooperation Activity also include the relevant promotion and cooperation meetings held by the China ASEAN Business Council and relevant parties from the end of last year to the first quarter of this year. In December, the China ASEAN logistics industry cooperation meeting, the RCEP Guangzhou development round table, China ASEAN sustainable cooperation meeting were held; in January, RCEP and Guiyang Opportunity Seminar, China Vietnam business Matchmaking meeting, China ASEAN Food Industry Cooperation meeting, China ASEAN Chinese Medicine Industry Cooperation meeting and China ASEAN Building Materials Industry Cooperation meeting were held in March.
2020 saw immeasurable efforts in the China–ASEAN economic and trade cooperation as well as joint combat against Covid-19. The two parties, the largest trading partner to each other, yielded enormous fruits in cooperation, said Mr. Xu in the interview. And such cooperation would be stepped up on a sustainable note in 2021, with more stability, activeness and room for development. China’s bilateral trade volume wth ASEAN, its largest trading partner, crowned a 26% year-on-year growth in the first quarter of this year, with double-digit growth in its trade with 9 of 10 ASEAN countries, demonstrating great momentum in bilateral trade cooperation.
2021, observing the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China-ASEAN dialogue partnership, is now ushering in brand-new pictures of such bilateral cooperation.
【图文来源于网络,如有侵权,请联系我们删除】