Initiatives to facilitate air travel and maritime flows were
agreed by transport ministers from the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China on Friday.
The agreements was reached at the Sixth ASEAN-China Transport
Ministers Meeting in Singapore.
They signed the ASEAN-China Aviation Cooperation Framework, and
another agreement to facilitate maritime links for both passenger
and cargo traffic between ASEAN and China.
The initiative to liberalize air travel is in line with the
ASEAN-China Free Trade Area by 2010, characterized by free trade
flows.
Local television Channel NewsAsia quoted Singapore's Transport
Minister Raymond Lim as saying, "Some of the things it would
include is the treatment of crews, members, passengers, cargoes in
ports, avoidance of unnecessary delays in ports, recognition of
ships documents, jurisdiction on board vessels as well as the
promotion of cooperation between companies, authorities and
research and training institutions."
Chinese Communications Minister Li Shenglin told Channel
NewsAsia that the consultation of this maritime agreement between
China and ASEAN had undergone six rounds and after six rounds of
thorough consultation, the two sides reached agreement and
consensus, mainly on the facilitation measures of maritime
transport between the two sides.
The two-way trade between China and ASEAN has increased rapidly
in recent years. ASEAN is the fifth largest export market for China
and the fourth largest source for imports. In 2006, the trade
volume between the two sides reached US$160.8 billion and the
figure is expected to reach US$190 billion in 2007.
(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2007)
