The 12th CAEXPO Symposium on Trade Facilitation & Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of WTO was commenced in the city of Nanning, South China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 12th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) Symposium on Trade Facilitation & Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of WTO has commenced in the city of Nanning, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, on Sept 18.

This is the first practical business activity conducted by international institutions since China-ASEAN Expo has cooperated with the WTO, marking new breakthroughs of practical cooperation between China-ASEAN Expo and other international institutions. It also showed the active role played by China-ASEAN Expo in accelerating China to make deep cooperation with ASEAN and to integrate itself into Asia and global integration.

This symposium was sponsored by the CAEXPO Organizing Committee. Tang Renjianm, first vice-governor of People’s Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, H.E. Mr. Wang Shouwen, vice-minister of the Ministry of Commerce of China, H.E. Mr. Yi Xiaozhun, deputy director general of WTO, H.E. Mr.Sun Yibiao, vice-minister of the General Administration of Customs of China, H.E. Mr. Mei Kebao, vice-minister of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China and Mr. Wang Xinkui, CEO of Shanghai WTO Affairs Consultation Center have graced the occasion and out their views respectively.

Besides, Managers and senior officials from the Economic and Trade Department of 10 China-ASEAN nations and South Korea, leaders from the General Administration of Customs of China and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People's Republic of China, concerning officer from Shanghai WTO Affairs Consultation Center, leaders from Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China and officials from WTO have also attended the symposium.

This year's symposium, with the theme of "Trade Facilitation and Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the Establishment of WTO", focuses on the acceptance and implementation of WTO trade facilitation measures in all countries concerned, roles played by WTO trade facilitation measures in promoting economic integration and WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation and Regional Integration of Asia.

H.E. Mr. Wang Shouwen, vice-minister of Ministry of Commerce of China, presided the symposium and delivered his remarks. He said, "In recent years, the Ministry of Commerce of China, together with other relative departments has proactively taken effective measures to improve the trade facilitation level and reduce the burden of enterprises, which has made sound achievements and provided effective convenience for enterprises."

It comes to fore during the symposium that China has always devoted to improve the trade facilitation cooperation in Asia-Pacific Region and attached great importance to and completely support cooperation in trade facilitation with ASEAN nations, so as to achieve win-win results. In Dec 2013, the Trade Facilitation Agreement was reached by the members of WTO at the Ninth Ministerial Meeting, which was the first multi-lateral trade agreement on goods in 20 years since the establishment of WTO and an important breakthrough since the launching of Doha Round. This agreement further expanded the multilateral trade regulations of WTO and enhanced the confidence of all parties to the role of organizing multilateral talk by the WTO.

Experts also believe that the effectiveness of the agreement and its implementation will greatly enhance the trade facilitation level among its members, which would facilitate the trade of all nations and increase the efficiency of trade, reduce the dealing price and push forward world trade and global economic growth. China has handed in the acceptance book to WTO on September 4, making it the 16th nation to accept this agreement.

That important action has indicated China's efforts in support of the agreement to be put into force and implemented it as soon as possible. And China hopes that through this move, more WTO members, including those ASEAN nations who have not accepted the agreement would join in the agreement very soon to put the Trade Facilitation Agreement into force and implement it as earlier as possible, which will benefit all the parties.

Nanning, the capital city of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, is a permanent venue for CAEXPO and fast growing into an international channel to link ASEAN nations and countries alongside the route of "Belt and Road" initiative. The city now has seen obvious achievements in that role. H.E. Mr. Tang Renjian, first vice-governor of People's Government of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has mentioned in his speech, the current Asia regional economic integration is growing dramatically and the constant promotion of trade facilitation mechanism like China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership have gained experience for world economic integration. And the WTO trade facilitation has also helped to accelerate Asia's regional integration.

The meeting has also been discussed on this topic of great significance. Guangxi is an important birthplace of the ancient Maritime Silk Road and now is the cutting-edge and window of China-ASEAN cooperation.

In recent years, Guangxi has given fully exploited its geographical advantages, vigorously promoted the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, actively participated in and served the integration of Asian regional economy. Guangxi, based on the new orientation given by the Chinese government that "Building international channels targeted at ASEAN", is building a new opening up and development strategic pivot in Southwest and South China. While the important organic link gateway named “Belt and Road”, the province will further give full regional advantages to serve China-ASEAN cooperation and the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement.

Mr. Wang Xinkui, the CEO of Shanghai WTO Affairs Consultation Center said on the occasion, "The deepening and extension of global value chains have been the salient features of the current world economy. Cross-border transactions of intermediate products also have become the essential features of the production network of Asia-Pacific region as well as the supply chains across Asia-Pacific region." For this, he believes that in the context of slashing tariffs, trade facilitation should become the policy point to improve supply chain performance and promoting the integration of different types of economies into the global value chains.

Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy of Republic of Korea, H.E. Mr. Moon Jae-do, representatives of China's General Administration of Customs and AQSIQ also delivered speeches at the meeting.

The symposium, against the backdrop of "trade facilitation and the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of WTO", taking the China-ASEAN as the exchange platform, holds the high-end dialogues and in-depth exchanges which will help speed up the global Trade Facilitation Agreement approval process and promote it to make it effective as soon as possible, highlighting the contribution and support of the Asian region for multilateral mechanisms and accelerating the regional economic and trade integration of China and ASEAN.