At the consultations (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) - Economic ministers from ASEAN member countries held a meeting withrepresentatives from China’s Ministry of Commerce on August 27.
This 19th consultations took place within the framework of the 52nd Meeting ofASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM-52) and related meetings in the form of a teleconference.
The two sidesshared the view that China has been ASEAN’s largest trade partner since 2009,with total trade value amounting to 507.9 billion USD last year, or 18 percentof the bloc’s total trade.
Chinese FDI inASEAN reached about 9.1 billion USD last year, accounting for 5.7 percent of totalFDI injected into the bloc.
2020 marks the 10th anniversary of ASEAN-China comprehensive economic ties, with the ASEAN-ChinaFree Trade Area put into operation comprehensively.
Delegates reachedconsensus on the next steps to deal with shortcomings in the cooperativeprogramme in the time ahead.
They said theRegional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement has remained thetop priority of ASEAN, and negotiations on trade liberalisation and moreintensive and extensive investment will be carried out only after the deal issigned.
The ministers alsostressed the significance of joint efforts in enhancing cooperation in order topromote trade and investment, towards post-COVID-19 economic recovery.
They, therefore, applaudedthe joint statement on boosting cooperation within the free trade agreement aswell as in the fight against the pandemic./.
VNA
