China-ASEAN Expo, the fruit of bilateral strategic partnership

The China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), which has turned into the 11th year this year, constitutes the fruits of the two sides’ strategic partnership, said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh.
The China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), which has turned into the 11th yearthis year, constitutes the fruits of the two sides’ strategicpartnership, said Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham BinhMinh.

The Vietnamese official was speaking at theCAEXPO’s opening ceremony in China ’s Nanning city on September16, which also saw the attendance of the host country’s Deputy PremierZhang Gaoli , Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong , andCambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, among others.

Hepinned his hope on the application of regional comprehensive economicpartnership (RCEP) between ASEAN, China and other partners, whichis, though, being negotiated.

It will facilitatefreer flows of goods, services, investments and human resources as well,creating integration-driven value chains and contributing tomaintaining peace and stability for economic development in the region,he said.

Minh called for closer coordinationbetween the bloc and China to maintain peace, stability and navigationsafety in the East Sea as well as implementing fully and seriously theDeclaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) andquickening the creation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), inline with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Lawof the Sea.

Themed “jointly build maritime silkroad of the 21st century”, the annual expo has drawn 2,330 businessesshowcasing their products and services at 4,600 booths. This year,Vietnam ’s pavilion boasts 200 booths of products displayed by 100businesses, the largest number among the bloc’s members.

The expo is jointly held by China ’s Ministry of Trade and the 10ASEAN member countries, constituting one of the top ten Chineseexhibitions and an important mechanism to promote friendship and tradelinks between ASEAN member states and China .

The11 th China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit also kicked off thesame day. Initiated in 2004, the annual high-level forum aims to boostASEAN-China strategic partnership and accelerate the establishment of anASEAN-China free trade area.

ASEAN groupsIndonesia , Malaysia , the Philippines , Singapore , Thailand ,Brunei , Cambodia , Laos , Myanmar and Vietnam.-VNA

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