He Guoqiang (2nd L, Top), who is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, joins a panel discussion with deputies to the Fourth Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) from southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in Beijing, capital of China, March 10, 2011. (Xinhua/Liu Jiansheng)
BEIJING, March 10 (Xinhua) -- A senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) on Thursday called on Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region to promote trade facilitation of the China-ASEAN free trade area.
He Guoqiang, a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said Guangxi should accelerate the transformation of economic development pattern in the course of developing Guangxi Beibu Gulf Economic Zone.
More efforts should be made for new progress on trade under the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA), and Guangxi should work to enhance coordinated development of urban and rural areas, he said.
He made the remarks in a panel discussion with a delegation from Guangxi to the National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, which is convening its annual session in Beijing.
The Guangxi Beibu Gulf Economic Zone is regarded as the most convenient gateway to the sea for southwest China, a crucial bridge and base for enhancing cooperation between China and ASEAN.
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam and Thailand.
The FTA started operation since Jan. 1, 2010. Trade volume between China and ASEAN countries reached 292.8 billion U.S dollars, an increase of 37.5 percent year on year last year.
