Ambassador:China-ASEAN FTA to Bridge Development Gap among Members

China's ambassador to ASEAN, Xue Hanqin, says the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area will help narrow the development gap between its members.

The ambassador made the comment in an exclusive interview with CRI during the ongoing forum on the China-ASEAN FTA in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Chen Xi has the details.

Xue Hanqin told CRI that the newly established FTA will advance regional development through free trade of goods, services and two-way investment.

"Trade between China and ASEAN nations will boom with the completion of the China-ASEAN FTA. Moreover, members of the FTA will further open their service markets to each other, and two-way investment will increase with the development of the FTA."

The China-ASEAN FTA was completed on January 1, 2010. It groups 11 developing countries in Asia and covers 1.9 billion people, making it the largest of its kind.

Based on these facts, Xue Hanqin says the FTA is a typical example of South-South cooperation and distinguishes itself from the North American FTA and the economic integration of the EU.

She points out that the China-ASEAN FTA will bridge the development gap between its members and expand win-win cooperation.

"The ultimate goal of the FTA is to further narrow the development gap in the region and improve its economic level as a whole. I think we can achieve all-around cooperation and common prosperity in the region, starting with the FTA."

Analysts say China, as an economic powerhouse, should play the leading role in the new FTA's development.

But Xue Hanqin stresses that equality is the basis for all kinds of cooperation between China and ASEAN.

"I want to emphasize, in particular, that equality, mutual benefit and respect are the basic principles guiding the development of the China-ASEAN FTA and other cooperation between the two sides. China is not willing to seek the leading role and no one should do that either. You know, we are all equal partners."

Serving as the first Chinese ambassador to ASEAN, Xue says she will work to promote communication and consultation between China and ASEAN and help solve possible problems emerging from the FTA.

The trade volume between China and ASEAN nations has expanded from close to 20 billion U.S. dollars in 1995 to more than 230 billion U.S. dollars in 2008 in spite of the global economic downturn.

Chen Xi, CRI news.