北北部部湾湾经经济济区区：：巧巧打打““东东盟盟牌牌””

□ 文/本刊记者 王功清



北北部部湾湾经经济济区区：：巧巧打打““东东盟盟牌牌””

□ 文/本刊记者 王功清

转眼间，北部湾经济区迎来了第十个生日。十年的发展历程中，创造的“北部湾速度”成为奇迹，令人瞩目。北部湾经济区之所以能取得如此巨大的成就，很大程度上得益于与东盟相近的地缘优势以及中国—东盟自由贸易区的建设及发展。

面向东盟，以东盟为特色

打“东盟牌”，以东盟为特色，是北部湾经济区在发展过程中重要的立足点。经过十年的成长与发展，北部湾经济区已经成为推动中国与东盟合作的重要平台。回首过往十年，它一直致力于与东盟共建合作机制，搭建合作平台，在互联互通建设、旅游合作、金融合作、跨境经济区等方面展开合作，在推进与东盟合作中呈现出许多新突破和新亮点。

十年的发展历程中，经济区积极推动中国—东盟合作机制的建立。

在互联互通方面，重在推动与东盟重点口岸、高速公路、铁路、航空等项目的合作。目前，北部湾经济区已与东盟建立起海陆空互联互通交通网；在海上互联互通方面，目前已与东盟47个港口、世界100多个国家和地区200多个港口通航。北部湾港每周25班外贸航线实现东盟主要港口全覆盖，9班内贸航线实现沿海港口全覆盖。依托国家交通运输物流公共信息平台和东北亚信息服务网络，建设中国—东盟港口物流信息平台，其中以钦州为基地面向东盟各国，开发面向东盟特色业务平台系统，建立中国—东盟港口信息管理中心，与东盟46个港口城市建立了城市港口网络。在陆路互联互通方面，经济区通往云南、贵州、湖南、广东等省以及东盟国家越南等6条高速公路已经全部打通，往湖南、贵州、广东的高速铁路已经建成通车，往云南的高速铁路正在加快推进，预计2016年将如期建成通车，衔接“一带一路”的南北陆路大通道正在形成。在航空方面，积极开辟新航线，目前南宁已经开通了12条直达东盟国家的航线，经济区的空港航运体系日益完善。

在跨境经济合作区方面，着眼于创新合作模式、合作内容和合作领域，促进双边贸易发展。在广西边境地区与越南共同建设中国东兴—越南芒街、中国凭祥—越南同登跨境经济合作区；加快推进中马钦州产业园区、马中关丹产业园及中泰崇左产业园区和中印尼防城港产业园区建设。依托跨境跨国合作园区、保税物流体系，扩大对东盟经贸交流合作，不断丰富对东盟的开放平台。

在金融方面，加快推进中国—东盟跨境人民币结算步伐，推动面向东盟国家的个人直接投资试点，开展边境贸易出口业务、跨境人民币结算业务承保试点。2011年，广西北部湾银行中国—东盟跨境货币业务中心成立，这是广西首家地方银行跨境货币业务中心，致力于推动广西与东盟的经济金融交流合作。

在旅游上，追求“民心相通”。共同推进环北部湾旅游圈、南宁—新加坡陆路跨国旅游通道、中越德天—板约国际旅游合作区建设；培育桂林—南宁—东兴—芒街—下龙国际黄金旅游线路；中越边境地区的电子口岸已经建成，人员流动更加便捷。

打“东盟牌”，赢“自贸区红利”

自贸区，享有优惠的税收和海关特殊监管政策，“自贸区红利”被誉为当今中国改革的最大红利。作为中国与东盟国家唯一既有海上通道、又有陆地接壤的区域，北部湾经济区无疑是分享中国—东盟自贸区红利最为便利的地区。“广西，特别是北部湾经济区，是自贸区建设的参与者、推动者和受益者。”时任广西壮族自治区主席马飚说。

在中国—东盟自贸区的辐射之下，北部湾经济区与东盟的紧密合作给广西带来了巨大的利益。“2015年是北部湾经济区成立十周年。十年来，北部湾经济区用广西1/5的土地，创造了1/3的产值、2/5的财政收入。”广西钦州市委书记肖莺子表示。按南宁、北海、防城、钦州四市统计，北部湾经济区经济总量大幅提升，由2006年的1418.99亿元增长到2015年的5867.32亿元，年均增长13.55%，GDP在广西全区的比重也呈逐年上升趋势，由29.5%上升到34.9%；2015年财政收入增长到接近千亿元，年均增长20.95%，高于全区3.95个百分点；进出口总额由成立最初的26.9亿元增长到240.88亿元。以稳健的发展证明了北部湾经济区的实力。

为何要打“东盟牌”？最主要的因素是其所处地理位置，北部湾经济区最特别的地方就是贴近东盟。巧打“东盟牌”，北部湾经济区将在更大程度上受益于中国—东盟自贸区的建设，将在沿边开放开发以及区域合作中扮演更重要的角色与享受更大的红利。

据广西北部湾经济区和东盟开放合作办公室常务副主任李延强介绍，2014年10月和2015年12月，广西已经两次向国家申报北部湾自贸试验区。在北部湾自贸试验区方案设计中，以主打“东盟牌”为特色，重点围绕面向东盟、海陆统筹、民族地区开放等方面开展先行先试，积极探索与东盟国家在投资和贸易便利化、金融跨境合作和监管、区域互联互通体系建设、跨国产业链合作等领域的合作，加快北部湾自贸试验区建设。例如，在申报建设北部湾自贸试验区核心区的钦州，2015年新开通钦州港至新加坡、马来西亚关丹、越南胡志明等7条内外贸集装箱直航航线，内外贸班轮航线达20多条，为申报北部湾自贸试验区做足准备。目前，自贸试验区的审批工作已经进入最终环节。可以预见的未来，北部湾经济区将迎来更加辉煌的业绩，创造新的奇迹。

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Beibu Gulf Economic Zone: Oriented towards ASEAN in a Tactical Way

written by Wang Gongqing / translated by Xu Zhiliang

I t is amazing how time flies as Beibu

Gulf Economic Zone (BGEZ) has been established for 10 years, and remarkable progress has been registered in its development over the years, making an impressive miracle-“Beibu Gulf Speed”.Nevertheless, such tremendous achievement is, to a large extent, attributed to BGEZ’s superior geographical location adjacent to the ASEAN region, as well as the construction and development of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.

Development oriented towards ASEAN

BGEZ has been committed to taking the cooperation with ASEAN as its main focus in the development process over the past few years.To date, BGEZ has developed into a signifi cant platform for advancing bilateral cooperation between ASEAN and China after ten years’development.Looking back, together with ASEAN countries, BGEZ has been committing itself to setting up a cooperative mechanism, establishing cooperative platforms, and carrying out the mutually benefi cial cooperation in connectivity construction, tourism, financial services, cross-border economic zone construction, etc.Thus, numerous new breakthroughs and highlights continue to emerge in the progress of cooperation between ASEAN and BGEZ.

BGEZ has been working vigorously to promote the establishment of ASEAN-China Economic Officials’ Meeting on Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic Cooperation, Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic Cooperation Secretariat and Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic and Cooperation Investment Promotion Center, push forward the setting-up of intergovernmental consultation mechanism between Vietnam and China and the involvement of Pingxiang-Dong Dang & Dongxing-Mong Cai Cross-border Economic Cooperation Zones in China-Vietnam economic and trade cooperation mechanism, and also support and implement a series of bilateral exchange activities such as China-ASEAN Expo, Forum on China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, China-ASEAN Cultural Industry Forum, China-ASEAN Summit Forum on Financial Cooperation & Development and China-ASEAN Mining Cooperation Forum over the previous years.

As for connectivity, emphasis has been placed on the progress of bilateral cooperation with ASEAN in such fields as key ports, expressways, railways, and aviation.At present, a connectivity transportation network covering sea, land and air has been built between ASEAN and China.In sea-based connectivity, shipping routes have been established with 47 seaports in ASEAN and over 200 seaports in more than 100 countries or regions.There are 25 Beibu Gulf Port’s foreign trade shipping routes accessible to the full range of main ports in the ASEAN region, and there are 9 domestic trade shipping routes having access to the full coverage of the coastal ports of China.Based on National Transport & Logistics Public Information Platform (LOGINK) and Northeast Asia Logistics Information Service Network (NEAL-NET), China-ASEAN Port Logistics Information Platform has been set up, including developing the ASEAN-oriented business platform system, establishing China-ASEAN Port Logistics Information Center, and making 46 ASEAN port cities linked on the basis of Qinzhou.In land-based connectivity, a total of 6 expressways, from Beibu Gulf toseveral provinces in China, such as Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangdong, as well as ASEAN countries like Vietnam, are open to traffi c.The high-speed railways from BGEZ to Hunan, Guizhou and Guangdong have been completed and put into operation, and the construction of BGEZ-Yunnan high-speed railway is being accelerated, which is projected to be completed in 2016.Thus, a north-south land-based route to link the Belt and Road is taking shape.In air-based connectivity, energetic efforts have been made to develop new air routes.To date, Nanning has opened 12 direct fl ights to ASEAN countries, and BGEZ’s airlines system continues improving.

In terms of cross-border economic cooperation zone, the bilateral trade development has been promoted, with the focus on innovating cooperation model, cooperation contents and cooperation fields: all the relevant parities in BGEZ have been building Pingxiang-Dong Dang & Dongxing-Mong Cai Cross-border Economic Cooperation Zones in the border areas, together with Vietnam, speeding up the construction of China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park, Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park, China-Thailand (Chongzuo) Industrial Park, and China-Indonesia Fangchenggang Industrial Park, and steadily expanding the economic and trade exchange cooperation with ASEAN and enriching the open platform towards ASEAN on the basis of cross-border and transnational cooperation zones and bonded logistics system.

With respect to finance, much work has been done to accelerate the cross-border RMB trade settlement in China and ASEAN, push ahead with personal direct investment business pilot areas oriented at ASEAN, conduct border trade export business, and establish underwriting pilot projects for the cross-border settlement of RMB trade.In 2011, China-ASEAN Cross-border RMB Business Settlement Center (Guangxi Beibu Gulf Bank)--the first of cross-border RMB business settlement centers established by local banks in Guangxi--is committed to boosting the exchange cooperation between ASEAN and Guangxi in the fi elds of economy and fi nance.

In regard to tourism, people-to-people bond is thought of as a work priority.Concerted efforts have been made to promote the construction of Pan-Beibu Gulf Tourism Circle, Nanning-Singapore Transnational Tourism Land-route Access and China-Vietnam Ban Gioc-Detian International Tourism Cooperation Zone, and foster Guilin-Nanning-Dongxing-Mang Cai-Halong Golden International Tour Route.In addition, E-port has been completed in the border areas between China and Vietnam, and the personnel turnover has been all the more fast.

Oriented towards ASEAN for the benefi ts of CAFTA

Overall, free trade areas are entitled to enjoy preferential tax revenues and the customs’special supervisory policies, so the benefits of free trade areas are regarded as the largest benefi ts of China’s reform nowadays.BGEZ, as the sole region linked with ASEAN countries in both sea-based route and land-based route, is undoubtedly the most convenient place to share the benefi ts of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA).“Guangxi, particularly BGEZ, acts as a participant, booster and benefi ciary in the construction of CAFTA,” said Ma Biao, the then Governor of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Influenced by CAFTA, tremendous benefits have been brought to Guangxi by the closer cooperation between ASEAN and BGEZ.“2015 marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of BGEZ.Over the years, by using one fi fth of Guangxi’s total land area, one third of Guangxi’s total economic output and two fi fth of its fi scal revenues have been produced,” said Xiao Yingzi, Secretary of the Municipal Committee of Qinzhou, Guangxi.According to the statistics of Nanning, Beihai, Fangchenggang and Qinzhou, the economic aggregate of BGEZ increased by a large margin from about 141.9 billion yuan in 2006 to over 586.73 billion yuan in 2015, with an annual increase of 13.55 percent, and BGEZ’s GDP in the proportion of a total of Guangxi tends to rise year by year, increasing from 29.5 percent to 34.9 percent; BGEZ’s fi scal revenues approached one hundred billion yuan in 2015, with an annual increase of 20.95 percent, 3.95 percent higher than a total of the whole Guangxi; and the total import & export volume of BGEZ increased from 2.69 billion yuan in the early days to around 24.09 billion yuan.Such steady-state growth has manifested the development strength of BGEZ.

The reason why BGEZ developed by facing ASEAN is that its geographical location is close to the ASEAN region, which is the most important cause.Developing relations with ASEAN in a tactical way would make BGEZ accessible to the benefits in the construction of CAFTA to a greater extent; meanwhile, BGEZ would play a more significant role in and enjoy much more dividends from the opening-up and development of border areas and regional cooperation.For the purpose of making the overall planning and coordination for the opening-up and cooperation of BGEZ towards ASEAN, Beibu Gulf Economic Zone & Cooperation with ASEAN Offi ce of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region was renamed in 2014.

Li Yanqiang, Executive Deputy Director of Beibu Gulf Economic Zone & Cooperation with ASEAN Office of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, said that Guangxi had applied for the establishment of Beibu Gulf Free Trade Pilot Zone (BGFTPZ) in October 2014 and December 2015 respectively.The designing scheme for BGFTPZ is characterized by the orientation towards ASEAN, with the focus on putting it into trial operation in developing and enhancing relations with ASEAN, making an overall planning for land and sea routes, and opening the territory of nationalities.Proactive approaches must be taken for exploring the facilitation of investment and trade, crossborder fi nancial cooperation and supervision, construction of regional connectivity system, transnational cooperation in industrial chains between the two sides, as well as accelerate the construction of BGFTPZ.For instance, as for Qinzhou, which is applying for building itself into the core area of BGFTPZ, it opened 7 new direct shipping routes for domestic and foreign trade in 2015, such as Qinzhou-Singapore, Qinzhou-Kuantan (Malaysia), and Qinzhou-Ho Chi Minh, with a total of over 20 liner routes for domestic and foreign trade, laying a solid foundation for submitting the application.As of now, the application for the establishment of BGFTPZ has been set to enter a fi nal round of the deliberation and approval.Overall, it is foreseeable that BGEZ will make all the more glorious achievements and new miracles.