Ⅳ. Basic Considerations for the Development of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area

The origin and foothold of our cooperation is to achieve mutual benefits and win-win results, as the China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation boasts considerable complementarities as well as extensive space and huge potential for collaboration. Only by adhering to the fundamental principle of carrying out mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation can the two sides fully tap and develop such complementarities and achieve more effective cooperation by complementing one another. China, as a power, should enable ASEAN to benefit more through bilateral cooperation and share the cake of China’s gigantic market.

It is also our common need to tighten up our cooperation relationship. In an age of economic globalization today, the destiny of China and ASEAN countries is more closely connected than ever. We must strengthen strategic communication and mutual trust, regard the promotion of economic development and social progress as a priority, firmly stick to the East Asian cooperating process led by ASEAN, safeguard our common interest in multilateral areas and jointly advance the establishment of a fair and reasonable new international economic order.

It is our realistic option to seize the business opportunities in regional economic integration. The market supply and demand is constantly changing under regional economic integration, which has also propelled the state-to-state and region-to-region economic relationship to take on new outlooks. In East Asia, large numbers of new opportunities and challenges arise from the formation of the ASEAN economic community, the operation of the China-ASEAN FTA, Japan-ASEAN FTA and ROK-ASEAN FTA, the execution of free trade agreements between China’s mainland and Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, the implementation of many bilateral free trade agreements signed between China and Singapore, Japan and Indonesia, as well as the establishment of RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) led by ASEAN. Overall, the opportunities outnumber challenges, while the key is to seize such opportunities. We may ride the momentum to realize concrete results by keeping up with the changing situation.

It is our primary action to achieve sustained common development through proactive cooperation. The two sides are faced with numerous uncertainties in the international affairs, some issues are yet to be grappled with in current bilateral relations, and many new changes need to be addressed in future cooperation, but as long as we follow the core principles, the economic and trade relations between China and ASEAN will be consolidated and develop further, and the regional integration will be deepened in favor of regional stability and development. These principles include: adhere to mutual respect and treating each other on an equal footing; constantly enhance mutual understanding and trust; adhere to mutually beneficial cooperation and common development, give full play to the advantages and become an interest community; adhere to keeping pace with the times and innovation to inject new vitality for the development of bilateral relations; and adhere to mutual understanding and accommodation and friendly negotiation to properly solve the problems exist between the two sides.

Given the basic considerations above, the two sides must well handle eight major relations in their cooperation:

4.1 Appropriately handle the relationship between long-term interests and mid- and short-term benefits. Develop a strategic partnership featuring long term stability, good neighborliness and friendliness, and common prosperity, which is in the long-term interests of both China and ASEAN. The mid- and short-term interests must be subjected to and serve the long-term interests.

4.2 Appropriately handle the relationship between multilateral cooperation and bilateral cooperation. The bilateral cooperation between China and ten ASEAN states provides a solid basis for multilateral cooperation between China and ASEAN. Therefore, it is an inevitable choice to further actively develop bilateral cooperation in order to reinforce and expand multilateral cooperation.

4.3 Appropriately handle the relationship between economic cooperation and political cooperation. The political and economic relations between China and ASEAN are constantly improving, serving as two important wheels for the development of bilateral relations. Only positive interactions can bring out the best in one another.

4.4 Appropriately handle the relationship between an open market and industrial restructuring. The two facets should be organically integrated for the creation of a new industrial chain via active industry connection. Improve the FTA productivity amid the further development of the China-ASEAN FTA so as to expand the win-win landscape.

4.5 Appropriately handle the relationship between innovation and practical attitude. The vitality and dynamism of bilateral cooperation rests with innovation, while the practical attitude is reflected by down-to-earth promotion of such cooperation in an effort to achieve innovation and consolidate the cooperative relations. Thus, equal importance shall be attached to both.

4.6 Appropriately handle the relationship between intra-regional cooperation and inter-regional cooperation. Comprehensive in-depth intra-regional cooperation is conducive to the stability and harmony of relations between various countries in the region; in developing cooperative relations with countries outside the region, those inside the region may communicate with each other actively and coordinate their actions to help the region reap the maximum benefits. China and ASEAN should join hands to promote the development of cooperation among East Asian countries toward mutual benefits and win-win results.

4.7 Appropriately handle the relationship between government promotion and NGO promotion, both of which aim to boost the friendly cooperation with ASEAN. To efficiently integrate the operation of the two different organizations with different characteristics, we may yield twice the results through the cooperation with half the effort.

4.8 Appropriately handle the relationship between institutional improvement and social and cultural exchanges. The former includes the cooperation documents signed between and mechanism-based cooperation organizations established by China and ASEAN for the purpose of promoting cooperation, as well as the execution and operation of such documents and organizations. The latter includes proactive measures taken by both sides to enhance common understanding among the people and recognition of regional development through cooperation. In this way, a positive social atmosphere can be formed for China-ASEAN cooperation so as to constantly solidify the social basis of bilateral cooperation. Both elements are inextricably connected.

To be continued