（2007年6月10日  湖南长沙）

    尊敬的各位嘉宾，
    女士们，先生们：

    大家上午好！
    很高兴能够出席今天的对话会。在去年云南举行的第三届“泛珠三角”论坛期间，我们邀请东盟各国商务官员出席，并成功举办了泛珠三角省区行政首长与东盟商务官员的首次对话会，收到了良好的效果，为中国泛珠三角省区与东盟搭建了一个对话与交流的平台。根据去年与会各方达成的共识，我们今天再次在长沙相聚，共话合作与发展，希望能够在去年的基础上，更进一步，取得更大的成果。

    女士们，先生们：
    中国和东盟山水相连，文化相通，经济互补。近年来，双方按照“相互尊重、平等互信、互惠互利、合作共赢”的原则，通过互利合作，在贸易、投资等各个领域的合作不断深化发展。
    第一，双边贸易持续、快速增长。2006年中国-东盟贸易继续保持快速增长的势头，双边贸易额达1608亿美元，同比增长23.4%。其中，中国对东盟出口713亿美元，自东盟进口895亿美元，同比分别增长28.8%和19.4%。东盟是中国的第5大贸易伙伴，根据东盟方统计，中国是东盟第四大贸易伙伴。
第二，双边互利合作成果显著。截至2006年底，东盟国家对华实际投资累计达419亿美元。中国企业对东盟投资也出现了快速增长态势，越来越多的中国企业把东盟国家作为主要投资目的地。东盟已成为中国对外承包工程和劳务合作的主要市场。
    第三，中国—东盟区域经济合作不断深入。2002年11月，中国与东盟领导人共同签署了《中国－东盟全面经济合作框架协议》，正式启动建立中国-东盟自贸区的进程。2004年11月，双方签署了中国-东盟自贸区框架下的《货物贸易协议》和《争端解决机制协议》。2005年7月起全面启动自贸区降税进程。2007年1月，双方签署了自贸区《服务贸易协议》，并正就投资协议加紧谈判。此外，大湄公河、东盟东部增长区等次区域经济合作也稳步推进，势头良好。
    中国与东盟拥有18亿人口，市场空间极为广阔。双方在资源构成、产业结构、贸易商品等方面各具特点，互补性强，又都处于快速发展阶段，有着巨大的合作空间。泛珠三角地区正好位于中国与东盟国家的接合部，与东盟多个国家接壤，有着5000多公里的边境线，有铁路、公路、水路和空中航线与东盟各国相通，处于中国与东盟经济往来和互利合作的前沿，在中国—东盟自由贸易区的建设进程中，具有得天独厚的地缘优势。
    泛珠三角地区在中国经济贸易发展中占有举足轻重的地位。泛珠三角内地九省区面积占中国内地总面积的五分之一、人口的三分之一、经济总量的三分之一，是中国经济发展最快的地区之一。近年来，泛珠三角各省区充分利用与东盟地理相接、人文相近、经济互补的特有优势，通过举办广交会、昆交会、中国—东盟博览会、西博会和珠洽会等经贸展会，构建双方交流与合作的平台，不断加强与东盟经贸往来，与东盟的贸易增长迅速，据中方统计，2006年，泛珠三角内地九省区与东盟的贸易额560亿美元，同比增长21.2%，占当年中国—东盟贸易额的34.8%。其中，泛珠三角内地九省区对东盟出口220亿美元，同比增长26.7%，占当年中国对东盟出口额的30.9%；进口340亿美元，同比增长17.9%，占当年中国自东盟进口额的38%。2006年香港、澳门与东盟的贸易额分别为574亿美元和3.75亿美元，整个泛珠三角省区与东盟的贸易总额超过千亿，达到了1138亿美元，已成为中国与东盟贸易的中坚力量。

    女士们，先生们：
    开放中的中国经济不断发展、市场规模日益扩大、进口需求快速增长，这为世界各国特别是周边国家的经济发展提供新的机遇。中国与东盟各国在历史上就是好邻居、好朋友和好伙伴。今年是东盟成立40周年，中国将继续深化睦邻友好，坚持与邻为善、以邻为伴，加强区域合作，促进中国与东盟的共同发展。在此大背景下，泛珠三角各省区与东盟应进一步加强交流与合作，充分发挥各自的特点和优势，优势互补，相互促进。让我们携手合作，探索合作的新领域、新形式，为中国与东盟“面向和平与繁荣的战略伙伴关系”不断增添新的活力，在平等互利的基础上实现双赢，共创中国—东盟经贸合作的美好未来。
    最后，预祝本次泛珠三角省区行政首长与东盟商务官员对话会取得圆满成功！
    谢谢大家。

Working Together to Shape the Future

Speech for the Dialogue Meeting between Executive Leaders of the Pan-Pearl River Delta and ASEAN Business Officials

Vice Minister of Commerce
Liao Xiaoqi
（June 10，2007 Changsha, Hunan）

Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning.

It affords me great pleasure to attend today’s dialogue meeting. During the third session of the “Pan-Pearl River Delta” forum held in Yunnan Province last year, we were honored with the kind presence of business officials from ASEAN countries, alongside the successful convening of the first Dialogue Meeting between Executive Leaders of the Pan-Pearl River Delta Region and Business Officials from ASEAN, inducing positive results and creating a platform of dialogue and exchanges between the provinces and regions of the Pan-Pearl River Delta of China and the ASEAN. In accordance with the consensus drawn amongst all parties attending last year’s meeting, toady we gather here in Changsha for the second time for discussions over cooperation and development, aspiring for further progress and greater achievements on the basis of what we have done last year.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Linked by mountains and waters, China and ASEAN share cultural connections and economic complementarity. In recent years, adhering to the principle of “mutual respect, equality and mutual trust, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation”, the two sides have seen their cooperation in such areas as trade and investment constantly intensified.

First, bilateral trade enjoyed sustained and rapid growth. China-ASEAN trade continued its momentum of fast growth in 2006, with bilateral trade valued at 160.8 billion US dollars, an increase of 23.4 percent on a year-on-year basis. In breakdown, China’s exports to ASEAN was 71.3 billion US dollars and our imports from ASEAN was 89.5 billion US dollars, rising by 28.8 percent and 19.4 percent respectively over that of the previous year. ASEAN is China’s fourth largest trading partner while ASEAN’s statistics show China is its fourth largest trading partner.

Second, our bilateral mutually-beneficial cooperation has yielded remarkable results. By the end of 2006, the cumulative value of actualized disposition of investment from ASEAN to China was 41.9 billion US dollars. A rapidly growing trend has also been identified in terms of Chinese business’s investment in ASEAN, with an increasing number of Chinese companies taking ASEAN countries as their prime destination for investment. ASEAN has already become the major market for China’s foreign contracted engineering and labor service projects.

Third, regional economic cooperation between China and ASEAN is evolving into greater depth. In November 2002, leaders from China and ASEAN countries have jointly entered into the “Framework Agreement on China –ASEAN Comprehensive Economic Cooperation”, thus officially launching the process of establishing the China-ASEAN FTA. In November 2004, the two sides have signed the “Agreement on Trade in Goods’ and the “Agreement on Dispute Settlement Mechanism” within the framework of China-ASEAN FTA. In July 2005, the tariff reduction process under the FTA has been initiated on a full scale. In January 2007, the two sides have entered into the “Agreement on Trade in Services” under the FTA and are right now pressing ahead with their negotiations on a relevant Agreement on Investment. In addition, sub-regional economic cooperation initiatives such as the Great Mekong River and ASEAN-East China Growth Region are also moving forward steadily along sound momentums.

China and ASEAN put together a population of 1.8 billion, pointing to extremely broad market prospects. The sides have their respective characteristics in such aspects as energy make-up, industry mix and trading commodities. Both of them are also at a stage of fast development. All these give rise to a tremendous scope for further cooperation. The Pan-Pearl River Delta region is located at a juncture connecting China with ASEAN countries, bordering with several ASEAN countries and sharing with them more than 5,000 kilometers of border demarcations. It is linked with ASEAN countries by rail, road, water and air accesses. The Pan Pearl River Delta is located on the forefront of China’s economic interaction and win-win cooperation with ASEAN.  This gives the region a unique geographical advantage in the course of building the China-ASEAN FTA.

The Pan Pearl River Delta has a significant role in China’s trade and economic development.  The nine mainland provinces in the region represent 1/5 of the territory, 1/3 of the population and 1/3 of the economic aggregate of the mainland and are among the fastest-growing economies within China.  In recent years, these provinces have fully leveraged their geographical proximity, cultural similarity and economic complementarity with ASEAN to build stronger trade and economic relations with ASEAN on such platforms as the Canton Fair, Kunming Fair, China-ASEAN Expo, Western China International Economy-Trade Fair and Pan Pearl River Delta Trade and Economic Fair.  According to Chinese statistics, the 9 provinces traded 56 billion USD with ASEAN in 2006, a year-on-year increase of 21.2%, representing 34.8% of the total of China-ASEAN trade of that year.  In breakdown, these provinces exported 22 billion USD to ASEAN, an increase of 26.7% and representing 30.9% of the total Chinese exports to ASEAN.  They imported 34 billion USD, an increase of 17.9% and representing 38% of China’s total imports from ASEAN.  In 2006, Hong Kong and Macau traded 57.4 billion USD and 375 million USD with ASEAN respectively.  The total Pan Pearl River Delta traded at 113.8 billion USD with ASEAN, already taking up the bulk of China-ASEAN trade.

Ladies and gentlemen,

China’s economy continues to grow through opening, its market continues to expand and its import demand continues to grow rapidly.  This presents new opportunities for other countries’ economic development, especially of those neighboring countries.  China and ASEAN have stayed good neighbors, friends and partners to each other throughout history.  This year marks the 40th birthday of ASEAN.  China will continue to deepen good neighborly relations with ASEAN as a good friend and partner, to facilitate regional cooperation and promote common development between China and ASEAN.  In this connection, the provinces and regions of the Pan Pearl River Delta should further strengthen exchanges and cooperation with ASEAN and fully play out their strength and advantages to complement and support each other.  Let us join hands to explore new areas and forms of cooperation, to inject new vitality into the strategic partnership oriented toward peace and prosperity between China and ASEAN, to reach a win-win state through equal and mutually beneficial cooperation and to shape a brighter future for China-ASEAN trade and economic cooperation.

To conclude, I wish this Dialogue meeting a complete success.