China-ASEAN Relations, April 2007 to September 2007: Chronology of Events

As a research institute based in Singapore, the EAI monitors developments in relations and interactions between China and the individual countries of Southeast Asia as well as the ASEAN grouping as a whole. This material is presented in the form of: (1) a chronology of events, and (2) important documents. — the Editors

April 2007

1st

China opens its doors to service exports from the Philippines starting July 2007 under the ASEAN-China Agreement on Trade in Services signed in Cebu last January. Representing the first package of services that will be freely traded between China and the ASEAN trade bloc led by the Philippines, it includes business services such as computer-related services, real estate services, market research, and management consulting. Also covered are construction and engineering-related services, tourism and travel-related services, transport and educational services, telecommunications, health-related and social services, recreational, cultural and sporting services, and energy services. It is expected that the Philippines will be opened to professionals from other ASEAN countries plus China, in as much as their economies will be opened to organised or individual export of services and service providers. Specifically, the Philippines has opened the fields of oil and gas exploration to Chinese nationals, an area where the Chinese are keenly interested because of their rapidly growing energy needs.

4th

Vietnamese Prime Minister approves two revised protocols on ASEAN-China economic cooperation: the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation between ASEAN and China (FACEC), and the revised protocol on commodity trade under the FACEC. The Vietnamese Trade Ministry must issue guidelines for cutting and eliminating tariffs, including the conversion of the two protocols into domestic legal documents and publish instructive documents for the execution of the FACEC starting in 2007.

10th

The fourth China-ASEAN Attorney Generals' Meeting begins in Macau. The gathering is aimed at promoting cooperation and exchanges between Chinese and ASEAN prosecutors to fight trans-national crimes.

26th

Singapore Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, at a Singapore-China Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting in Beijing says Singapore is keen to help Chinese state-owned enterprises (SOEs) go global. Mr Goh met Li Rongrong, chairman of China's State-Owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC). Mr Goh told Mr Li that Singapore would like to gain a better understanding of China's interpretation of "going global" and would also like to invest more in the growth of Chinese companies and China's plans to expand its SOEs beyond its borders.

27th

While meeting with members of a Chinese press delegation in Hanoi, State President Nguyen Minh Triet states that the development of Vietnam-China relations, particularly in politics and economics has been in line with the expectations of leaders and people of the two countries. He pointed to the two corridors and one economic belt programme and ASEAN-China cooperation as areas that would promote mutual interests and development as well as peace and stability in the region.

May

4th

Vietnam Ministry of Finance imposes preferential tariffs on imports originating from ASEAN and China from May 1. The tax cuts, which apply to many categories of goods are based on commitments under the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement (ACFTA). An overall reduction in import duties is being implemented in steps, and the newly stipulated tariff is one of these steps. In the long term, taxes on imports from ASEAN and China will be cut to 0–5 per cent, as committed. Meanwhile special vehicles, such as for riding on snow, serving golf courses, and small racers, would enjoy tax reduction from 50 to 40 per cent. However, sedans would retain the old tax rates at 80 per cent. The tariff would be applied for all imports to Vietnam from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and China. The goods enjoying preferential tariffs must be directly transferred from the countries of origin to Vietnam.

5th

ASEAN + 3 Finance Ministers' Meeting held in Kyoto focuses on the macroeconomic situation in the East Asian region and the need to intensify financial and banking cooperation in...