□ 文/本刊记者 陈丽冰
第13届东博会:共建海丝,共筑命运共同体
□ 文/本刊记者 陈丽冰
“山水相连,血脉相亲”,这是形容中国与东盟关系的形象词汇;“与时俱进,务实合作”,这是概括中国—东盟博览会举办功能的恰当语言。随着中国与东盟国家经贸往来的日益密切,中国—东盟博览会作为中国与东盟国家的重要经贸合作平台,也紧跟时势不断丰富内涵、提升服务功能。2016年是中国—东盟建立对话关系25周年,也是东博会升级发展的重要契机。值此机遇,将于2016年9月23~26日举办的第13届中国—东盟博览会将以“共建21世纪海上丝绸之路,共筑更为紧密的中国—东盟命运共同体”为主题,更好地发挥东博会在服务21世纪“海上丝绸之路”建设、中国—东盟合作中的特殊作用。
中国与东盟地理相近、利益相融,近年来双方经贸合作的发展尤为迅速。目前,中国已连续6年成为东盟第一大贸易伙伴,东盟则连续4年成为中国第三大贸易伙伴,同时也是中国第四大出口市场和第二大进口来源地。而在双方日渐火热的经贸合作中,优势互补、需求对应的产能合作正成为双方合作的新热点。据中国商务部数据显示,截至2015年底,中国与东盟累计相互投资超过1500亿美元,双方在铁路、汽车、化工等领域的投资合作项目也在不断增多。
为了务实推动中国与东盟快速发展的产能合作,同时顺应中国与东盟建立稳定的命运共同体的时代要求,日前中国—东盟博览会秘书处秘书长王雷在第13届中国—东盟博览会高官会上表示,第13届东博会将以国际产能合作为重点内容,举办中国—东盟国际产能合作系列活动,其中包括国际经济与产能合作展、国际产能合作论坛、对接会等,进一步促进中国与东盟开展投资合作。
事实上,中国—东盟博览会作为区域内唯一以自由贸易区为主题的国际展会,在推动国际产能合作上,一直扮演着重要的角色。自2004年首次举办以来,在东博会期间举办的投资合作圆桌会、东盟产业园区招商大会等,有效推动了双方在道路、港口、空运等方面的基础建设,为中国和东盟开展产能合作奠定了合作基调。2015年第12届东博会首次举办国际产能合作系列活动,更是取得不菲的成绩。其中,仅在会期举办的国际产能与装备制造项目对接洽谈会上,现场就达成合作意向11项,成功签约的国际产能合作项目达34项,涉及机械制造、汽车配件、能源建设、建材生产、有色金属、矿产开发等领域。
百尺竿头更进一步。据王雷秘书长介绍,第13届东博会将新设“东盟投资及服务贸易专业展区”,为各国产业园区提供招商引资的展示和推介平台。此外,2016年东博会还将与东盟各国驻华使领馆合作,在东博会以外时间举办东盟国别投资政策介绍会,为有意投资东盟的中国企业答疑解惑,解决实际问题,为中国企业投资东盟提供权威的信息支持。
琳琅满目的商品、丰富务实的经贸促进活动、权威专业的高规格论坛……历年来,东博会的商品贸易和投资合作专题有效地促进了中国与东盟贸易投资领域的合作。与此同时,东博会的专业化道路也越走越宽,通过打造“一主多专,巡展并行”的展览新格局,为中国—东盟合作搭建了更多平台。
王雷秘书长介绍,为了带动中国与东盟国家的经贸往来,同时更好地服务各国企业,第13届东博会将在展览内容和服务功能上实现提升和优化,使参展商品与其上下游产品之间、商品贸易与投资项目之间、投资项目与配套服务之间相互贯通,让企业通过展会价值链获得更全面、更系统的服务,取得实实在在的经贸实效。
一是优化商品贸易内容,更加突出东盟品牌企业和优势行业。展示更多的行业品牌产品和精品,提升名优企业参展比例和企业重复参展率;展示东盟国家的食品饮料、生活消费品、大宗原材料和服务业产品等市场潜力大、互补性强产品中的热门特色产品,提升名优企业参展比例。
二是大力推进 “一主多专,巡展并行”办展格局。继2015年举办东博会印尼展、泰国展之后,今年东博会将于2016年6 月16~18日在越南举办东博会越南展,并将视情况在其他东盟国家巡展。同时,继续举办农业、轻工、林木、旅游等领域的专业展,继续探索拓宽办展合作渠道。
三是强化投资合作,推动更多中国企业到东盟投资。会期将举办投资合作圆桌会、东盟产业园区招商大会、中国驻东盟经商参赞与企业家交流会、投融资项目对接会等一系列投资促进活动,为企业提供大量有价值的信息和商机。
四是扩宽招商渠道,提升采购商邀请质量。第13届东博会将进一步加大采购商邀请力度,多渠道、高质量邀请中国、东盟及世界各国优质采购商参会,会期继续举办综合贸易配对会、东盟国家专场贸易配对会、展商一对一精准配对、中外企业家交流会等系列商贸配对活动,切实提高东博会经贸成效。
另外,值得一提的是,第13届东博会还以展馆扩馆为契机,优化展区设置。中国南宁国际会展中心2016年新增展览面积约3万平方米,除了继续设立东盟品牌展区外,还新增“国际展区”和“东盟投资及服务贸易专业展区”,新增气象、民生等合作领域,为双方合作创造更多机遇。
往届东博会现场盛况。
在每一届东博会上,主题国作为东博会的主角所举办的系列精彩活动总是备受关注。按照东博会的主题国机制,第13届东博会的主题国是越南。据越南贸促局副局长谢煌灵介绍,当前越方正在紧锣密鼓地开展作为第13届东博会主题国的筹备工作。东博会期间,越南将举办中越企业论坛,届时越南的高官将会出席活动,以此积极推动中国与越南、中国与东盟各国的经贸往来。
此外,目前越南的“魅力之城”已确定为邦美蜀市。邦美蜀市位于越南西原的多乐省,人口约6.9万,不仅是多民族聚居地,还是咖啡出产名地,有“咖啡首都”的美誉。尤其是被视为顶级咖啡的“猫屎咖啡”,邦美蜀市也是主要产区之一。
据中国商务部数据显示,2014年,越南出口咖啡约34亿美元,咖啡产量超过137万吨,其中多乐省产量超过45万吨,约占33%。邦美蜀市成为2016年第13届东博会主题国越南的“魅力之城”,届时,将有更多的机会与中国和东盟其他国家的城市开展交流与合作,让咖啡走进19亿人口的大市场。
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The 13th CAEXPO: Collectively Build the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and a Community of Common Destiny
written by Chen Libing
translated by Xu Zhiliang
S peaking of the relationship between ASEAN and China, we can put it this way: we are linked by the same mountains and rivers, and we enjoy the historical bonds.As for the dramatic feature of CAEXPO’s functions, it can be appropriately generalized: keeping pace with the times; strengthening pragmatic bilateral cooperation.At present, CAEXPO’s connotations have been unceasingly enriched and its service functions have been improved, as the economic and trade contacts between ASEAN and China become increasingly close.2016 marks the 25th anniversary of ASEANChina Dialogue Relations, and it is also a signifi cant opportunity for the upgrading of CAEXPO.
Against this background, the theme of the 13th CAEXPO to be held in September 23-26, 2016 is identifi ed as: Collectively Building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and Creating a Close ASEANChina Community of Common Destiny, thus to better give full play to CAEXPO’s role in promoting the Maritime Silk Road construction, as well as its special mission to facilitate the ASEAN-China cooperation.
Enhancing international industrial capacity cooperation
ASEAN and China enjoy geographical proximity and closely entwined interests.In particular, extraordinary progress has been registered in the bilateral economic and trade cooperation over the years.China now has been the fi rst trading partner of ASEAN for six consecutive years; meanwhile, ASEAN has remained China’s third trading partner, fourth export market, as well as second source of import for four consecutive years.Nowadays, industrial capacity cooperation characterized by complementarity of advantages and demand correspondence continues to become a hot-spot issue in the increasingly close economic and trade cooperation between the two sides.By the end of 2015, as released by the Ministry of Commerce of China, a total of mutual investment of ASEAN and China had added up to over US$ 150 billion, at the same time, the number of bilateral cooperative investment projects had been also on the increase, such as railways, automobiles, and chemical engineering.
Secretary-General of China-ASEAN Expo Secretariat Wang Lei indicated that a series of activities pertaining to international industrial capacity cooperation between ASEAN and China, such as international economy and industrial capacity cooperation exhibition, and internationalindustrial capacity cooperation forum & meeting, would be held during the 13th CAEXPO to be centered on international industrial capacity cooperation at the Senior Officials’ Meeting for the 13th China-ASEAN EXPO the other day, and thereby to further promote the bilateral investment and cooperation, which is aimed at pragmatically boosting industrial capacity cooperation between the two sides and satisfying the requirements of building ASEAN-China Community of Common Destiny.
As a matter of fact, CAEXPO, an international event focused on free trade area in this region, has been playing a significant role in pushing forward international industrial cooperation.Since the first CAEXPO in 2004, the bilateral infrastructure construction in such fields as roads, ports, and air transportation has been effectively driven by investment cooperation round-table meetings, investment attraction conferences, etc., laying a solid foundation for the progress of ASEANChina industrial capacity cooperation.In addition, remarkable achievements have been made in a series of activities regarding international industrial capacity cooperation during the 12th CAEXPO in 2015, reaching a total of 11 cooperation intentions, and 34 international industrial cooperation agreements involving mechanical manufacturing, automobile parts, energy resources, building materials producing, nonferrous metals and mineral exploration.
Secretary-General Wang said, on this basis, a newlybuilt ASEAN Investment & Service Trade Exhibition Area would be presented during the 13th CAEXPO, so as to provide various industrial parks with platforms for attracting investments.Furthermore, promotions on ASEAN countries’ investment policies will be held outside of the time fixed for CAEXPO by cooperating with ASEAN embassies in China in 2016.By doing so, the practical issues concerning Chinese enterprises to invest in ASEAN will be resolved, and authoritative information of investing in ASEAN will also be provided at the scheduled time.
Optimizing the exhibition area’s themes and services
Overall, there were a great variety of attractive commodities, abundant economic and trade promotion conferences, professional high-level forums and so on during each CAEXPO over the previous years.We can say that a number of special subjects related to merchandise trade and investment cooperation during the previous CAEXPOs have pushed ahead with ASEANChina cooperation in trade and investment.In the mean time, CAEXPO is getting increasingly professionalized.By forging a new exhibition layout: “One Primary Exhibition, Multiple Thematic Fairs” & “Parallel Itinerant Exhibition”, much more platforms have been set up for ASEANChina cooperation.
According to Secretary-General Wang, efforts will be made to improve and optimize the themes and services of the 13th CAEXPO to make connections between exhibited commodities and their upstreamdownstream ones, between merchandise trade and investment projects, as well as between investment projects and supporting services, and thereby to make enterprises to attend the CAEXPO accessible to all the more comprehensive and systematic services and tangible economic and trade effects.
First, we should optimize the contents of merchandise trade to further highlight ASEAN brand-name and competitive enterprises.Attention should be paid to exhibiting much more competitive products by increasing brand-name and high-quality enterprises’ proportion and frequencies to attend the exhibition, and showcasing ASEAN countries’ popular and featured products with huge market potential and strong complementarity, such as foods and beverages, customer goods, bulk raw materials, and service products, by enlarging the proportion of famous enterprises.Second, we should vigorously advance the exhibition layout: “One Primary Exhibition, Multiple Thematic Fairs” & “Parallel Itinerant Exhibition”.During June 16-18, 2016, China-ASEAN Expo Vietnam Exhibition will be held following the exhibitions held in Indonesia and Thailand in 2015; meanwhile, itinerant exhibitions in other ASEAN countries would be held in accordance with the actual situation.At the same time, thematic exhibitions involving agriculture, light industry, forestry, and tourism continue to be held, and the cooperation channels on exhibitions will be continuously explored and expanded.
Third, we should intensify investment and cooperation to attract much more Chinese enterprises to invest in ASEAN.A series of investment and promotion conferences such as investment and cooperation round-table conferences and ASEAN industrial parks’ investment conferences will be held during the following CAEXPO, which is aimed at offering a great majority of valuable business opportunities to the interested enterprises.
Fourth, we should expand investment attraction channels to invite high-level purchasing agents in a high-quality way.Greater efforts will be made to invite well-known and competitive purchasing agents from China, ASEAN and the rest of the world via various channels in a high-quality manner during the 13th CAEXPO, when economic and trade matching conferences will also be organized, thus to pragmatically increase the economic and trade effects.
In addition, it is worth mentioning that, taking the expansion of exhibition hall as an opportunity, the setting-up of the exhibition area will be optimized in 2016.It is reported that an additional exhibition hall covering an area of nearly 30 thousand square meters has been newly built in Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center (China).Besides continuing to establish ASEAN Brand Names Exhibition Area, International Exhibition Area and ASEAN Investment & Service Trade Special Exhibition Area have also been increased.Thus, much more cooperation opportunities have been created for the two sides.
Vietnam’s role as the 13th CAEXPO’s Country of Honor
A host of fascinating activities held by the Countries of Honor drew attention from the audiences during the previous CAEXPOs.Vietnam is identified as the Country of Honor of the 13th CAEXPO in accordance with the corresponding mechanism.Now, preparations for the following CAEXPO, as introduced by the Deputy Director of Vietnam Trade Promotion Agency, are being made by Vietnam.Vietnam high-level offi cials will be present at a time when Vietnam-China Enterprises Forum is held, so as to make positive contributions to economic and trade contacts between Vietnam and China, and between ASEAN countries and China.
In addition, Buon Ma Thuot is identified as Vietnam’s “Charming City”.Buon Ma Thuot is located in Đk Lk Province, Vietnam, with the population of about 69 thousand, which is not only a habitation of multi-ethnic groups, but also a wellknown place of coffee producing (especially Civet coffee, which is regarded as the top-level coffee), praised as the City of Coffee.
According to the statistics released by the Ministry of Commerce, China, the total export volume of Vietnam coffee reached about US$ 3.4 billion in 2014, and the total output over 1.37 million tons, among which Đk Lk Province’s coffee output accounted for around 33 percent of a total, with the output of more than 450 thousand tons.Buon Ma Thuot, taking serving as the Charming City of the 13th CAEXPO’s Country of Honor-Vietnam as an opportunity, will be granted much more chances to conduct exchange and cooperation with China and other ASEAN countries, so that its coffee would be sold to the grand market with the population of 1.9 billion in the region.