Experts and officials from China and ASEAN countries have called for strengthened infrastructure construction cooperation to facilitate the development of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.
Chen Xi takes a closer look.
Reporter:
At the just concluded Forum on China-ASEAN FTA, many experts have focused their discussion on infrastructure cooperation in the area.
Dr. Shankaran Nambiar, a researcher from the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research, says collaboration in infrastructure construction is important to the development of the FTA.
"Establishing a more comprehensive or deeper network will facilitate trade and investment in the region."
At present, infrastructure cooperation has been well underway among China and ASEAN nations. The region has begun coordinated research on the feasibility of new rail lines in Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos, which will form a part of the Trans-Asian railway network.
Nambiar points out that necessary assistance should be delivered to some least developed countries in the region to accelerate the pace of the cooperation in this perspective.
"The least developed economies in ASEAN would probably need more assistance from China. I think China should be willing to consider relevant measures and also engage in extending more assistance and funding to these countries in order to achieve the kind of infrastructure connectivity."
Cai Yuhe, a senior official from China's Ministry of Transport, says China is committed to working with ASEAN countries to enhance infrastructure cooperation.
"At present, the economic cooperation within the China-ASEAN FTA is encountered with uNPRecedented opportunities. To increase trans-border connectivity is in line with the interests of regional economic development and cooperation."(www.hXen.com)
He adds that China will make further efforts to enhance cooperation and communication with ASEAN countries in the sector of infrastructure construction.
In a bid to help ASEAN countries improve their infrastructure, China has already decided to offer a credit of 15 billion US dollars to the bloc and about 40 million US dollars in special aid to less-developed ASEAN countries.
Last year alone, China's ministry of transport delivered five locomotives, 200 freight cars and 20 passenger cars to Myanmar free of charge.
