More than 80 officials, experts and entrepreneurs from China,
Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and the Asian
Development Bank convened in Yunnan Monday discussing the
facilitation of trade and investment in the Greater Mekong
Sub-region (GMS).
They were attending a seminar hosted by the Department of
International Trade and Economic Affairs under China's Ministry of
Commerce and the provincial commerce department of Yunnan.
The seminar was aimed to seek a roadmap for the implementation
of a strategic framework on trade and investment facilitation
between the six countries after leaders of the countries reached an
agreement on such a framework in July last year in Kunming, capital
of Yunnan in southwest China.
Topics on the seminar included customs reform, improvement of
customs inspection and quarantine management, revision of
trade-related laws and regulations, and the improvement of the
environment of logistic service.
China hopes to further its cooperation and exchange with the
Asian Development Bank and other countries in the sub-region to
work out a most favorable scheme for smooth flow of trade and
investment between the countries, said Yi Xiaozhun, vice-minister
of Commerce.
The trade between China and the other five countries reached
about US$32 billion in 2005.
Yi said that trade and investment facilitation is very necessary
under the context of the robust trade growth in the region as a
result of dropping tariff, gradual removal of non-tariff barriers
and development of free trade.
"We hope the blue print of the strategic framework can turn into
action, and our wish can come true," Yi said.
He said that China has put forward detailed proposals on the
improvement of the application of information technology, the
establishment of an information system on international standards,
cultivation of a logistic market, and police cooperation between
the countries.
The vice minister said that China and Vietnam have agreed to
launch a one-stop inspection customs at their border to serve as a
model of trade facilitation for the region.
(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2006)