On April 7, the China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement Upgrade and Economic and Trade Cooperation Symposium was held. The RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee hosted the meeting online and offline. Representatives of the two countries actively exchanged views on enhancing cooperation, seizing the new opportunities brought by the upgrade of the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, and achieving common development.
At the meeting, Xu Ningning, Chairman of RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee, New Zealand Ambassador to China Clare Fearnley, former Chinese Ambassador to New Zealand Chen Mingming, and Economic and Commercial Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in New Zealand Huang Yuefeng delivered speeches successively.
Xu Ningning, chairman of the RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee, pointed out in his speech that today's upgraded China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement is an important milestone. The greater open market of the two countries shows that the economic and trade cooperation between the two countries has entered a new stage, which will bring new business opportunities for trade and investment, and is beneficial to jointly promote the process of RCEP regional economic integration; It demonstrates the confidence and actions of the two sides in the development of cooperation, and the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries has been further consolidated and developed.
According to the latest statistics from China Customs, from January to February this year, the trade volume between China and New Zealand increased by 22.8% year-on-year. In the RCEP region, the growth rate of trade between China and New Zealand ranks top among China’s trade with ASEAN, Japan, South Korea, and Australia.
To help all parties seize the new opportunities brought by the upgrade of the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, Xu Ningning put forward three suggestions:
First, we should take the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-Singapore diplomatic relations and the upgrade of the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement as an opportunity to actively implement the consensus reached by the two sides and continue to expand new consensus. In consolidating the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, we should jointly create a favorable environment for economic cooperation, rejuvenate the vitality and development potential of economic development, and jointly cope with the challenges arising from the increasing uncertainties in the current international situation.
Second, enterprises of both sides should make good use of the China-New Zealand FTA upgrade protocol, and take advantage of the favorable conditions of market opening to expand trade in goods, trade in services and two-way investment. Competent government departments and industry business associations should strengthen industry cooperation, give full play to the role of existing cooperation mechanisms such as the China-Singapore Joint Commission on Commerce and Trade, and establish new major industry cooperation mechanisms according to the needs of economic cooperation and industrial development, so as to promote complementary industrial advantages and achieve new economic growth.
Third, China and New Zealand jointly strengthen cooperation in promoting regional economic integration. Taking the entry into force of the RCEP agreement as an important starting point, we should help enterprises implement multiple free trade agreements to develop international markets and carry out investment cooperation, and jointly promote cooperation in the fields of digital economy, green economy, and connectivity in the RCEP region. The RCEP Exchange Center for Economic, Commerce, Technological and Cultural Cooperation established by the RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee in Taishan City, Jiangmen, China, can serve as a platform and bridge for the business communities of China and New Zealand to enhance cooperation.
Xu Ningning said, let us work together to translate the text of the China-Singapore Free Trade Upgrade Protocol into actual economic cooperation and development results as soon as possible. On the basis of many "No.1" created by the cooperation between China and New Zealand in the past 50 years, more "No.1" are still waiting us to create.
At the meeting, Yuan Bo, researcher of the Institute of International Trade and Economic Cooperation of the Ministry of Commerce of China and a well-known free trade research expert; Zhang Zhongyuan, director and researcher of the International Economic Relations Research Office of the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; Zheng Xiaoyi, deputy mayor of Jiangmen City, Guangdong Province; Chen Wei, Executive Vice President and Secretary General of China Meat Association; Liu Chao, Vice President and Executive Deputy Secretary General of China Dairy Association; Peter Morfee, Chief Advisor of New Zealand Ministry of Commerce, Innovation and Employment; President of New Zealand-ASEAN Business Council Mark Thomas, Liang Jianwei, Director of New Zealand Eurasian Intercultural Exchange Service Group; Jin Shili, Director of New Zealand China Business Roundtable and Vice President of Zespri China; Huang Weixiong, Dean of New Zealand Business School, and Zhang Yun, Executive Chairman of New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Guangdong, fully affirmed in their speeches the significance of the upgrading of the China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement, expressed the positive desire to enhance cooperation, and put forward relevant suggestions on enhancing cooperation in mutual opening up.
Lv Kejian, executive member of the RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee and former director general of the department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Ministry of Commerce, said when presiding over the meeting that he believed that the implementation of the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement Upgrade Protocol will promote the joint economic development of China and New Zealand, and will jointly boost the implementation of RCEP and regional growth potential.
