On 14 September 2017,?the Seminar on Strengthening Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA)?and China Trade & Investment Cooperation was held in Nanning, Guangxi. The Seminar was co-organized by ASEAN-China Centre (ACC), China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and BIMP-Facilitation Center, with the theme “Insight into BIMP-EAGA: Potentials & Opportunities”. Mr. Datu Hj Abul Khayr Alonto, Standing Chairman of BIMP-EAGA Minister, Mr. Yang Daoxi, Vice Chairman of Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Mr. Chen Zhou, Deputy Director General of the Organizing Committee of China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, Vice Chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, and around 300 representatives of government departments, industry associations and business community from China, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines attended the Seminar. ACC Secretary-General H.E. Mme. Yang Xiuping attended and addressed the Seminar.

Mr. Alonto said that since its inception, BIMP-EAGA has been actively promoting exchanges and cooperation in all areas between regional countries as well as with development partners, and the building of the mechanism has achieved significant progress. Since China became BIMP-EAGA development partner, it has made constructive contribution to the region in promoting economic growth, attracting investment and expanding overseas market. Currently, BIMP-EAGA countries are actively implementing BIMP-EAGA Vision 2025, and would like to work with development partners including China to deepen exchanges and cooperation, further comprehensive development of regional countries in areas of trade and investment, connectivity, tourism, education, environment protection and other areas, and benefit peoples in the region.

Mr. Yang Daoxi briefed on the economic and social development of Guangxi in recent years and said that under the Belt and Road Initiative, Guangxi has been proactively promoting cooperation with ASEAN countries in trade, investment and other areas and has become an important window and bridge of China-ASEAN full-scale cooperation. The dominant industries between Guangxi and BIMP-EAGA countries are highly complementary to each other and there is great potential for further cooperation. He hoped enterprises from the two sides could seize the opportunity, fully tap the potential and make more contribution to expand practical cooperation between China and BIMP-EAGA.

Mr. Chen Zhou commended the achievements of trade and investment cooperation between China and BIMP-EAGA and said that since the upgraded version of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area came into force last year, the trade and investment cooperation between China and BIMP-EAGA face major development opportunities. China Council for the Promotion of International Trade will continue to encourage competitive Chinese enterprises to invest in BIMP-EAGA, build more platforms and bridges to promote sharing of resource and realize common development and further China-ASEAN regional economy integration.

Participants of the Forum exchanged views on topics of development potential of BIMP-EAGA, favorable investment policies and development opportunities in regional countries and promoting cooperation between BIMP-EAGA and China. It was agreed that it is of great significance to have such a Seminar for the first time and it provides an effective platform to strengthen cooperation between China and BIMP-EAGA. China and BIMP-EAGA countries are highly complementary in agriculture, forestry, fishery industry, infrastructure construction, transportation, tourism, information technology and so on. Enterprises from both sides should seize the opportunity, tap the potential, expand cooperation and advance rapid economic growth of the two sides and realize mutual benefit and win-win cooperation.

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