English
Hainan, Asean trade up almost 6 percent year on year
Trade in goods between Hainan province and Asean members amounted to 39.54 billion yuan, up 58.6 percent year on year, nearly 20 percent of the total trade in goods of Hainan.
Asean has become Hainan’s largest foreign trade partner, Hainan provincial Vice Governor, Ms Xie Jing reported at the opening ceremony of the tropical agricultural cooperation and prospects between China (Hainan) and Asean dialogue as part of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2023 held in Hainan province on Wednesday.
China and Asean are close neighbours sharing kinship. Over the years, the two sides have pressed ahead hand in hand and explored a path featuring good neighbourliness and win-win cooperation, creating valuable opportunities and broad space for the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port, she said.
In recent years, Hainan has accelerated the development of the policy framework for the free trade port and further promoted high-level opening-up.
“Using the continuous expansion of cooperation with Asean countries in various fields as a springboard, we are striving to develop headquarters and bases for Chinese enterprises to enter the international market and for international enterprises to enter the Chinese market,” Ms Xie said.
The dialogue could not be better in that the theme is of far-reaching significance, in particular, the exchange of views and insights of the delegations will certainly deepen the tropical agricultural cooperation between Hainan and Asean and make new contributions to an even closer community of shared future for China and Asean.
“In recent years, Hainan and Asean countries have launched many agricultural science and technology projects and jointly promoted the R&D and utilisation of excellent tropical fruit and vegetable resources,” Ms Xie said.
With the deepening of cooperation in such fields as tropical featured planting, agricultural products processing trade, and so on, the import and export trade of agricultural products has grown steadily, she added.
For even greater benefits, Ms Xie made four suggestions on promoting tropical agricultural cooperation between China and Asean, to enhance policy coordination, market synergy, economic and trade investment, and science and technology cooperation.
“From the perspective of the China-Asean partnership, the Hainan Free Trade Port is like an “eye” that plays the core role in the Go game. From the perspective of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the China-Asean partnership is its first relay station. I believe that the cooperation between Hainan and Asean will be enhanced both in breadth and depth with the acceleration of the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port,” she said.
“We look forward to welcoming entrepreneurs from Asean countries to Hainan for exchange, investment and business operations, so as to bring more benefits to the people of both sides and make greater contributions to the steady and sustained development of the China-Asean comprehensive strategic partnership,” Ms Xie added.
On the same occasion, delegations from China and Asean discussed a variety of topics, such as the roles and functions of free trade zones (ports) in exploring high standard international economic and trade rules and promoting regional economic integration.
Other topics included ways to strengthen cooperation among free trade zones (ports) in the world and how to fully activate the synergy effect of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) free trade zones (ports) policies and comprehensively strengthen cooperation among RCEP countries.
Source: https://www.vientianetimes.org.la/freeContent/FreeContenKham_Hainan_y23.php