The 2nd High –Level Forum on China-Japan-Korea FTA Held in Beijing

The 2^nd High–Level Forum on China-Japan-Korea FTA Held in Beijing

On April 24^th, 2012, the 2^nd High-Level Forum on China-Japan-Korea FTA: Market Liberalization and Industrial Cooperation was held in Beijing. The forum was co-hosted by China Center for International Economic Exchanges (CCIEE), Japan-China Organization for Business, Academia & Government (JCOBAG), and Korea International Trade Association (KITA). More than 80 delegates including governmental officials, scholars, senior business leaders and media from China, Japan and Korea attended the forum. Before the forum, Mr. Zeng Peiyan, Chairman of CCIEE, met with Japanese and Korean delegates.

Mr. Zhang Xiaoqiang, Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and Executive Vice Chairman of CCIEE, Mr. Zheng Xinli, Permanent Vice Chairman of CCIEE, Fukukawa Shinji, Chairman of JCOBAG, Mr. Ahn Hynn–ho, Vice Chairman of KITA, addressed at the opening ceremony. Delegates from the three countries conducted sincere dialogues and had deep exchanges of views on the establishment of China-Japan-Korea Free Trade Area, including industrial cooperation, services trade, new energy, green economy and technological cooperation.

Economic and Trade cooperation is not only the most dynamic and effective element of the China-Japan-Korea relation, it also lays a solid foundation for a lasting and healthy relationship among the three countries. The establishment of China-Japan-Korea FTA will enable the three countries to fully utilize their comparative advantages and to realize their potential in trade growth. 

As important think tanks in their respective nations, CCIEE, JCOBAG and KITA have been working hard on promoting the establishment of the China-Japan-Korea FTA, and it is them that jointly initiated the High-Level Forum on China-Japan-Korea FTA. The first forum was convened on June 3^rd, 2011 in Seoul Korea. The 2^nd forum was held shortly before the 5^th China-Japan-Korea Leaders’ Meeting and thus, it attracted enormous attention from home and abroad.  

By undertaking exchanges and discussion among think tanks, the forum enhanced mutual understandings among the three nations and has a positive and constructive impact on further promoting China-Japan-Korea FTA negotiation.