On January 23, the RCEP regional development media think tank Roundtable forum, sponsored by the Publicity Department of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee, China Daily, China (Hainan) reform and Development Research Institute and the Research Institute of free trade port with Chinese characteristics, was held in Haikou in the form of a combination of Wuxi Online Offline Communication Information Technology Co.Ltd(300959) . More than 80 think tanks and media experts and scholars from China, South Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia and other countries had in-depth discussions and suggestions on the theme of “RCEP coming into force: looking forward to new prospects for regional cooperation and development”.
The formal entry into force of the regional comprehensive economic partnership agreement (RCEP) marks the smooth sailing of the world’s largest free trade area. How to promote RCEP regional development and cooperation has attracted great attention from all parties.
Zhou Shuchun, member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese people’s Political Consultative Conference and chief editor of China Daily, said that RCEP was difficult to reach and officially came into force in the “change of the times” facing the challenge of epidemic situation and the adverse current of economic globalization, which strongly proves that real multilateralism and free trade are the general trend of history. “Tearing down the wall” rather than “building the wall” is the general trend of history, and it is in the interests of the people of the world to firmly safeguard the multilateral trading system.
Chi Fulin, President of China (Hainan) reform and Development Research Institute and President of China characteristic free trade port Research Institute, pointed out that it is necessary to give full play to the effect of RCEP policy and build a safe and stable industrial chain supply chain. For example, release the policy effect of “tariff concession”, release the policy effect of “rules of origin accumulation”, release the policy effect of “service trade and investment liberalization and facilitation”, and optimize the regional industrial chain supply chain. We should give full play to the integration effect of RCEP rules and promote the formation of a large regional integration market. Promote the docking of regional markets, promote the construction of common markets in key areas such as Shenzhen Agricultural Products Group Co.Ltd(000061) , service industry and digital economy, and give full play to the role of the Chinese market in promoting regional integrated markets. We should adhere to the concept of open regional development and pragmatically promote the process of RCEP free trade. Accelerate the bilateral and multilateral free trade process within RCEP, start the construction of China ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0, adhere to openness and promote the expansion of RCEP.
Ahn Choong Yong, a distinguished professor at the Graduate School of international relations at South Korea’s Central University, said that countries should make the best use of RCEP. We should make use of the rules of origin accumulation to enhance the resilience of regional supply chains as soon as possible, so as to reduce regional trade costs. RCEP should be integrated with the comprehensive and progressive cross The Pacific Securities Co.Ltd(601099) partnership agreement (cptpp) now in force.
Ong Tee Keat, chairman of Malaysia’s New Asia Strategic Research Center and former Minister of transportation, said that with the entry into force of RCEP, the demand for sustainable development in the whole region is growing, and green economy and blue economy have become the focus of attention of all countries. This requires making full use of Hainan’s important role in regional green development. On the one hand, Hainan and Southeast Asian developing economies are complementary in the fields of green economy and blue economy. On the other hand, relying on Hainan free trade port, it is timely for Hainan to promote southward cooperation. One of the important ways is to deepen Hainan ASEAN cooperation in sustainable development fields such as green economy and blue economy.
Wang Yiming, vice president of China Center for international economic exchanges, believes that China will take the entry into force of RCEP as an opportunity to explore and establish an open, inclusive and shared regional economic integration cooperation mechanism with Member States, share development opportunities and achievements, and build a regional community of interests.
Under the background that all parties are happy to see the positive effects of RCEP, Zhang Yunling, member of the Department of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Chair Professor of Shandong University, pointed out that efforts should be made to improve the utilization rate of RCEP; While paying attention to reducing tariff effect, we should pay full attention to the rule effect of RCEP and non-tariff effects such as inflation and epidemic impact. We should focus on using RCEP to improve East Asia’s own consumption capacity, implement RCEP’s negative list as soon as possible, and promote the development of future economic relations with “cooperative competition”.
The meeting also conducted in-depth exchanges around “RCEP and regional economic integration” and “promoting media think tank cooperation programs and actions in RCEP regional people to people and cultural exchanges”.
