Xinhua
24 Nov 2021, 06:14 GMT+10
NANNING, Nov. 24 (Xinhua) -- At a warehouse in the southern Chinese city of Nanning, dozens of tonnes of durian fruit products imported from Malaysia are boxed shortly after arrival, ready to be delivered across China.
"That's the first batch of durian this winter," said Yao Hai, who trades in fruit between China and Southeast Asian countries.
With durian becoming increasingly popular with Chinese consumers, Yao's business has boomed this year, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"From March to May this year, the sales of durian products grew tenfold, compared with the same period last year, and I expect the momentum to continue in the coming years," said Yao, adding that he has benefited greatly from the closer economic and trade relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
On Monday, China and ASEAN jointly announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership, a move that is expected to inject new impetus into the peace, stability, prosperity and development of both the region and the world.
Zhou Fangyin, dean of the school of international relations at Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, said China and ASEAN share profound common interests, and the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership will help boost post-pandemic regional economic recovery.
Last year, China remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years, while ASEAN became China's largest trading partner. Customs data show that from January to October this year, trade between China and ASEAN reached 4.55 trillion yuan (about 711.7 billion U.S. dollars), up 20.4 percent year on year.
The two-way investment between China and ASEAN has also seen notable progress, according to Deng Xijun, Chinese ambassador to the ASEAN. By the end of June this year, the total accumulated mutual investment topped 310 billion U.S. dollars.
The robust trade and investment growth came in spite of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the ASEAN-China Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations on Monday, China pledged to provide ASEAN with another 1.5 billion U.S. dollars of development assistance in the next three years to support ASEAN countries' fight against COVID-19 and boost economic recovery.
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), experts believe, has contributed greatly to the sustainable growth for China and the ASEAN. The China-proposed BRI has grown into the world's largest international cooperation platform, with 141 countries and 32 international organizations having signed relevant cooperation documents with China, including all ASEAN countries.
In recent years, the two sides have seen deepening cooperation in new economic sectors such as high-tech, the digital economy, and the green economy.
At the summit, China proposed the launch of the China-ASEAN Science, Technology and Innovation Enhancing Program, which will provide 1,000 items of advanced and applicable technologies to ASEAN and support a program for 300 young scientists from ASEAN to come to China for exchanges over the next five years.
Outhay, a young scientist of Laos, has benefited from the science and technology exchange between the two sides.
"What I learned in China is really useful. I have used advanced environmental protection equipment and learned rural sewage treatment methods, which will come in handy when I return to Laos," said Outhay, adding that it is in the interests of both sides to develop and exchange environmental technologies.
The China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, which has been held for 18 consecutive years, serves as an important platform for comprehensive cooperation between the two sides.
"The establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership provides valuable opportunities for us to upgrade the China-ASEAN Expo to better serve the cooperation between the two sides and the construction of the BRI," said Wang Lei, secretary-general of the expo's secretariat.
Initiated by the 10 ASEAN countries to establish a unified market by reducing tariffs and non-tariff barriers, the RCEP will take effect on Jan. 1, 2022, and more than 90 percent of merchandise trade in the region will be eventually subject to zero tariffs.
The RCEP includes 10 ASEAN members, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK), Australia and New Zealand. The 15 states' total population, gross domestic product and trade all account for about 30 percent of the world total.
RCEP is especially useful in reducing and removing trade obstacles, creating the world's largest common market, where goods and services could be more freely traded, thus accelerating the regional and world economic revivals, noted Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at Singapore Institute of International Affairs.
Get a daily dose of Malaysia Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Malaysia Sun.
More InformationDhaka [Bangladesh], March 14 (ANI): United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his gratitude to Bangladesh's interim...
ABU DHABI, 14th March, 2025 (WAM) -- Etihad Airways has opened bookings for flights to Medan, the gateway to North Sumatra, Indonesia,...
New Delhi [India], March 14 (ANI): The Hockey India 7th Annual Awards 2024 is set to bring together the Indian hockey fraternity in...
Brussels [Belgium], March 14 (ANI): The European Parliament has issued a resolution condemning Thailand for deporting 40 Uyghurs back...
The former Philippines president has said he takes full responsibility for his war on drugs Former Philippines President Rodrigo...
Balochistan [Pakistan], March 14 (ANI): Paank, the human rights department of the Baloch National Movement, has strongly condemned...
BERLIN, Germany: Volkswagen is set to cut 1,600 jobs at its Cariad software division by the end of the year, affecting nearly 30 percent...
The principal terminal, Terminal 1, at Israel's largest airport will reopen at the end of this month, having largely been closed since...
NEW YORK, New York - The knee-jerk introduction of trade tariffs by President Donald Trump continues to rattle markets with all the...
FRANKFURT, Germany: Ford announced this week that it will inject up to $4.8 billion into its struggling German unit to stabilize its...
SEATTLE, Washington: Boeing has revamped its employee incentive plan, tying annual bonuses for more than 100,000 workers to overall...
WINNIPEG, Manitoba: Farmers in the U.S. and Canada are bracing for soaring fertilizer prices as trade tensions escalate between the...