The first half of this year, China and ASEAN bilateral trade volume reaches 1365 billion, an increase of 55%, exceeding the year China import and export increase of 11 percentage points. ASEAN has become China's fourth largest trading partner. However, with strong trade growth with, there are barriers to trade and trade in services, impede the relatively slow development of the free trade area in depth.
Experts said that in the global economy is difficult to enter the recovery period, the economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN strategic significance of the more prominent, service trade cooperation should be further accelerated. According to the first half of the momentum this year China and ASEAN will hit an all-time high this year, more than likely ASEAN Japan become China's third largest trading partner.
Results
Free trade area of the half-yearly bilateral trade volume increased by 55%
1 January this year, China-ASEAN free trade area. Since then, China on the ASEAN's average tariff to 0.1%, 93% of product tariff has been reduced to zero. China-ASEAN free trade area starts, China and ASEAN countries open their markets to each other, forming a 19 million consumers, 6 trillion GDP by economic region. On the morning of 26, the information Office on the economic and trade relations between China and ASEAN review, Conference, announced a free trade area for half a year "report card".
Gao Hucheng, Vice Minister of Commerce by conference call, the first half of this year, China and ASEAN bilateral trade volume reaches 1365 billion, an increase of 55%, exceeding the year China import and export increase of 11 percentage points. Among them, China's imports from ASEAN 719 billion, an increase of 64%. China on the ASEAN exports 646 billion, an increase of 45%. China imports from ASEAN, clearly higher than the growth of China exports to ASEAN. ASEAN has become China's fourth largest trading partner.
In investment cooperation from 2003 to 2009, ASEAN on China's actual year investment from 29.3 million increase to 46.8 billion. China on the ASEAN investment growth from 2.3 billion to $ 3 billion, an increase of more than 13 times. The first half of this year, ASEAN in China approximately 31 billion, China on the ASEAN non-financial investment of about 12 billion. As of the end of June this year, the cumulative total of mutual investment 694 billion, of which ASEAN investment in China about 598 billion cumulative, China on the ASEAN non-financial investments accumulated approximately 96 million.
"Only in 2009, the Chinese Government to import products from the ASEAN eliminates tariff 61 billion RMB. "Gao Hucheng said:" China-ASEAN free trade area of the building to both enterprises and people bring substantial benefits. "China on the ASEAN, the rapid growth of direct investment, the investment has already covered to the agricultural, manufacturing industry and services, etc. From a tourism perspective, the 10 ASEAN countries have become a citizen of China national tourism destinations. The first station to ASEAN Tourism from 2003 's 191 million increase to 2009 of 450 million people.
China-ASEAN Business Council, Executive Secretary-General Xu ningning side had forecast, according to the first half of the momentum this year China and ASEAN will hit an all-time high, ASEAN has likely become China's third largest trading partner.
Challenges
Free trade area in depth the challenges facing
However, with the China-ASEAN free trade area of the building into a "sham" impede the development of bilateral relations in the factors gradually surfaced, from how to circumvent the barriers to access to financial services trade area further development into a free trade area in depth development challenges cannot be circumvented.
In accordance with the agreement, China and ASEAN countries to achieve "zero tariff" commodities will be more than 7000 species. But many people worried that, in the China-ASEAN free trade area, information-sharing mechanism is not open, standard-setting is not uniform and other issues likely to affect trade barriers, "tariff" in the era of trade process.
Malaysia Asia strategy and leadership Institute CEO Mahathir is of the view that although the free trade area of the building means that enterprises can choose to trade or trade outside the territory, but also means that suppliers and dealers "closer" to the relationship, in the process, the information is very important. "Facing the new challenges of the market must have, in the China-ASEAN free trade area, individual economies need closer cooperation, for example in the resource-exporting countries and receiving countries need to do resource information of symmetry. ”
Technology and standards will also bring to trade a "bottleneck". The Chinese Ministry of foreign trade and economic cooperation Office of the Chairman Wei area indicated that the free trade area agreement, China and ASEAN countries, the largest trade and investment barriers, may not be a tariff barriers, but technology and standards. "The reality we see standards and technology to other countries on the accreditation, and other factors are affecting the trade. "Wei recommendations, each Party shall, through various forms of communication, developing bilateral technical standards and technical cooperation for the mutual recognition of obstacles.
From the "early harvest" of agricultural products [16.563.50%] trade, to the rapid development of trade in goods, until the current GATS performed step-difficult, a China-ASEAN free trade area in depth development must not circumvent the problem.
At the end of December 2008 a State Council Executive meeting held to decide, on the Yangtze River Delta region of Guangdong and Hong Kong and Macao, Guangxi and Yunnan and ASEAN trade in goods for RMB clearing pilot. Nevertheless, in all the research on China-ASEAN expert, Guangxi Normal University Social Sciences and Development Office Director Chen hsiung Chang, ASEAN countries on cross-border settlement RMB misgivings, it is hoped that the RMB to become ASEAN countries "regulator", at the same time, fear of the ASEAN countries to further rely on the expansion of the Renminbi, ASEAN Finance currency and the whole national economy was RMB "force", staged in the 1990s financial turmoil.
"China and ASEAN countries of regional development for the regionalization of the renminbi is essential. Since China did not
For many years has been the capital exporting countries, relying on the regional market, RMB will be the future capital of the only forms of output. "Professor of Renmin University of China School of Economics, wangjin bin in the acceptance of the said information daily interview.
Department of Commerce's Institute of international trade and economic cooperation in Asia Africa Research Department assistant researcher Yuan wave told the information daily reporter, from the service trade areas, China and ASEAN trade openness in small amounts, is not high, compared with trade in goods is still very low level. Currently, the service between China and ASEAN trade openness slightly higher than world trade between Member States, the future is still great potential for development. "China and the ASEAN region of service trade complementarity, in tourism, the movement of people are there common interests. Future services trade liberalization steps should also be accelerated. ”
The turning point
Development of the free trade area of the consolidation of the economic recovery situation
Gao Hucheng said that China-ASEAN free trade area of the building, marking the China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation has entered a new stage of development, but the world economy of deep-seated conflicts remain unresolved, stabilises rebound positive sign is also confronted with a lot of uncertainty and instability. The foundation of the world economic upturn and unstable, also face many new challenges. The people's Republic of China-ASEAN free trade area of the building as an opportunity to consolidate further the current economic recovery in a good situation.
Gao Hucheng pointed out, first, the China-ASEAN free trade area, customs tax, market development, trade and investment facilitation role, expand the scale of regional trade. Second, the expansion of mutual investment, use of China-ASEAN investment cooperation fund and $ 15 billion for ASEAN, credit funds in infrastructure and Bulgarian as well as significant livelihood projects in the areas of cooperation. The third is vigorously promoting pan Beibu Gulf economic cooperation, cooperation in the greater Mekong subregion, ASEAN growth area in the East, and so on subregional cooperation. "In short, we will be the free trade area building as an opportunity to expand the areas of cooperation, to enrich the contents of cooperation, improving the level of cooperation to jointly promote regional economic cooperation and development. ”
"China-ASEAN trade plays an important role in the subprime mortgage crisis in the global economy entered the recovery period difficult highlights, this is the world's economic growth has changed. "Wangjin bin information daily to the reporter said, especially in the absence of significant technical innovation of the recovery period, Europe's economic growth rate significantly below emerging economies, and the ASEAN and China is currently the world's most important emerging economies. Therefore, China and ASEAN trade in the rapidly expanding global trade regionalization in the development process of inevitable result, and effective policy cooperation is speeded up the China-ASEAN free trade area of the development.
Wangjin bin pointed out that the development of regional economic Union helps clear China and ASEAN countries between the Division and complementary relations. China and the ASEAN trade is in deficit situation description then the excessive reliance on traditional low-cost advantage strategy, there is no room for development. China must in Europe and developed areas and countries with ASEAN and other low-cost balance between trade partners, become undertake developed and less developed regions of the middle ground, found in the international division of labour. In addition, free trade zones further extends important trading partners of pluralism, but also help reduce Europe and the United States and other countries and regions on trade friction risk.