Join Hands to Build A Closer China-ASEAN Community of Shared Destiny: Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli

(ChineseVice Premier Zhang Gaoli gives a speech at the 12th China-ASEAN Exposition)

TheancientmaritimesilkroadoncefacilitatedtradeandculturalexchangebetweenChinaanditsSoutheastAsianneighbors.Hopesarehighthatitssuccessor,the21stCenturyMaritimeSilkRoad,willinjectnewimpetusintoregionaldevelopment.

The12thChina-ASEANExpoopenedonFridayinNanning,capitalofsouthChina'sGuangxiZhuangAutonomousRegion,underthetheme"creatinganewblueprintformaritimecooperationbyjointlybuildingthe21stCenturyMaritimeSilkRoad."

Addressingtheopeningceremony,ChineseVicePremierZhangGaolisaidthe"BeltandRoad"initiativecanpromoteeconomicprosperityandregionaleconomiccooperation,enhanceexchanges,promoteworldpeaceanddevelopment,andbenefitthepeopleofmanycountriesaroundtheworld.

TheBeltandRoadwasproposedbyChinain2013asatradeandinfrastructurenetwork.ItwillconnectAsia,toEuropeandAfricathroughtheSilkRoadEconomicBeltandthe21stCenturyMaritimeSilkRoad.

Theexpo,scheduledtorunfromSeptember18to21,hasattractedover2,200companiesfromChinaandASEAN.

Development,together

ZhangsaidthatBeltandRoadconstructionisenteringanewphaseofpragmaticcooperation.

ReferringtotheestablishmentoftheASEANEconomicCommunity(AEC)bytheendofthisyear,ZhangsaidthatintegrationbetweentheBeltandRoad,theAECconstructionblueprint,andASEANdevelopmentstrategiesshouldbepursued.

In2003,aconcordonestablishingtheAECby2020wasinkedbyallitsmembercountries.In2007,itwasdecidedthatthecommunityshouldbeestablishedby2015.

Alsoattendingtheopeningceremony,MyanmarVicePresidentSaiMaukKhamsaidthe21stCenturyMaritimeSilkRoadinitiativewillhelpfacilitatecommunicationandcooperationamongASEANmembers,andcontributetothedevelopmentofinfrastructureandintegrationoftheAEC.

VietnameseDeputyPrimeMinisterNguyenXuanPhucspokehighlyoftheBeltandRoadinitiative,sayingthattheexpowillbringdevelopmentopportunitiestocompanies,andcontinueservingtobridgeChinaandASEAN.

Trade,industrialcooperation

ZhangcalledeconomicandtradecooperationthefoundationoftheconstructionoftheBeltandRoad.

Hestressedtheimportanceofclosertiesincustoms,inspectionandquarantine,certification,standardmeasuring,informationcollectionbetweenChinaandASEAN,tolowernon-tariffbarriersandfacilitatebilateraltrade.

ChinaaimstoelevatebilateraltradewithASEANto1trillionU.S.dollarsby2020,accordingtothevicepremier.

WhileChinaisASEAN'slargesttradingpartner,ASEANisChina'sthirdlargesttradingpartner.TradebetweenChinaandASEANincreased8.23percentyearonyearto480billionU.S.dollarsin2014.

Zhangalsopledgedcooperationinproductioncapacity,sayingthatChinawaswillingtocooperatewithASEANinsuchareasaselectricity,engineeringmachinery,buildingmaterialsandcommunication.

ThepledgewaswelcomedbyThaiDeputyPrimeMinisterTanasakPatimapragorn,whosaidChina'smovetoaccelerateproductioncapacitycooperationwithASEANwouldbringbenefitstobothsides.

Infrastructureconstruction

Duringtheopeningceremony,ZhangGaolicalledforhighwaysandrailtolinkwestChinaandtheIndo-ChinaPeninsulaincludingVietnam,Laos,Cambodia,Thailand,MalaysiaandSingapore.

LaotianDeputyPrimeMinisterSomsavatLengsavadtoldXinhuathattheconstructionofarailwaythatlinksChina'sKunmingCitywiththecapitalcityofLaos,Vientiane,wasscheduledtostartbytheendofthisyear.

Currently,ChinaandThailandarenegotiatingamedium-speedrailwayline,whichwillconnectnortheastThailand'sNongKhaiprovince,capitalBangkokandeasternRayongprovince.

Therailwayproject,oncecompleted,couldserveasaBeltandRoadmodelanddemonstratetotheworldhowprojectsofitskindcanpromotetheeconomy,saidHuangBinfromKasikornResearchCenter,aThaithinktank.

ZhangalsonotedthatChinawaswillingtojoinhandswithASEANtoestablishtheChina-ASEANInformationHarbor.

Theharborinitiative,proposedbyChinalastSeptember,isaneconomicandtechnologycooperationprojectthatwillbeaninformationhubforthe21stCenturyMaritimeSilkRoad.

TheinitiativewillincludefivecooperativeplatformstobenefitChinaandASEAN,coveringinfrastructure,informationsharing,technologicalinnovation,tradeserviceandculturalexchange.