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BEIJING, Aug. 28 (Xinhuanet)-- Chinese enterprises should "step out of
China' and enter the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) market, said
An Min, vice-minister of commerce here Thursday.
Addressing a two-day seminar on the Malaysian market, An said China has
st
rengthened economic cooperation with ASEAN. According to the Framework
Agreement on China-ASEAN Comprehensive Economic Cooperation signed in November
2002, China and ASEAN will set up a free trade area in 10 years, which will
provide huge development potential, he said.
He said Malaysia has the largest trade volume with China of all ASEAN
nations. This is the first such seminar and the ministry will held more such
seminars on other Asian nations to introduce overseas markets to Chinese
enterprises, he said.
An said China and Malaysia enjoy good relations and mutually complementary
economies and the prospect for cooperation is great. He suggested that Chinese
enterprises expand exports to Malaysia to reduce the trade deficit, invest more,
and open processing factories in Malaysia.
Lu Kejian, deputy director in charge of Asian affairs with the Ministry of
Commerce and Zhang Yingwen, economic counselor with the Chinese Embassy to
Malaysia, introduced China's trade and economic relations with ASEAN and
Malaysia.
The trade volume of China and Malaysia reached 14.27 billion US dollars in
2002, up 51 percent year-on-year, and accounts for one fourth of the trade
volume with ASEAN. Malaysia is China's largest trade partner among ASEAN nations
and the seventh largest trade partner. Enditem
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