Conference held in E. China's Anhui to boost economic, trade & dev. zones cooperation among RCEP members

The Conference on Cooperation in Economy, Trade & Development Zones among RCEP Member States was hosted in Huangshan city of east China's Anhui Province on June 9.

The conference, which attracted more than 150 local government officials, representatives from industry associations, industrial parks and enterprises of RCEP member countries, is one of the key events of the 2023 RCEP Local Governments and Friendship Cities Cooperation (Huangshan) Forum.

Sun Yong, deputy provincial governor of Anhui Provincial Government, said that Anhui's solid economic foundation, strong growth vitality and great development potential demand broader opening-up in forging closer connections with the international community and more cooperation with the RCEP member countries in particular.

Anhui will further foster its trade and investment and craft a new highland for the opening-up of higher quality to extend the economic and trade cooperation with the member countries of RCEP, according to Sun.

Photo shows Sun Yong, deputy provincial governor of the People's Government of Anhui Province delivering a speech at the conference.

Anna Robeniol, advisor to the secretary general of ASEAN and the deputy secretary general for ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) stressed the active role that RCEP played in expanding market, boosting economic and trade cooperation and establishing multilateral trade systems, and urged member countries to advance related mechanism construction and cooperation in an effort to jointly combat the global challenges.

Photo shows Anna Robeniol, advisor to the secretary general of ASEAN and the deputy secretary general for AEC delivering a speech.

Su Qingyi, vice director with the international trade research office of Institute of World Economics and Politics under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences thought that the region where RCEP member countries are located will be the most dynamic one in the future and the huge development potential for related industrial chains will enable localities and businesses to discover and share development opportunities.

Fang Xu, head of the Bureau of Commerce of Anhui Provincial Government, said that member countries of RCEP are important economic and trader partners of Anhui and the full implementation of the pact injects new impetus into Anhui's drive to boost the "dual circulation" of domestic and international markets and opening-up of higher quality.

Two thematic discussion sessions over topics around RCEP boosting economic and trade cooperation between local governments of member countries and opportunities sharing between development zones and firms of RCEP member countries were also convened during the conference.

Photo shows the site of the thematic discussions.

RCEP forms a synergistic effect with the existing free trade agreements between China and the Republic of Korea (ROK) and further broadens the investment and trade cooperation between China and ROK, held Hong Changpyo, president of the China Head Office of Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).

Photo shows Hong Changpyo, president of the China Head Office of KOTRA speaking during the thematic discussion. 

Themed on "Regional cooperation for a win-win future", the 2023 RCEP Local Governments and Friendship Cities Cooperation (Huangshan) Forum was convened in Huangshan City of Anhui Province during June 9-10.