China-ASEAN cooperation gains steam as ties grow stronger
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       BEIJING -- Despite COVID-19 outbreaks and growing uncertainties, China sees unstoppable momentum in its cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and is ready to further deepen its strategic partnership.
      Since China and ASEAN forged dialogue relations in 1991, the two sides have remained committed to promoting regional prosperity with comprehensive cooperation and bringing tangible benefits to people in the region.
      VIBRANT AND FRUITFUL
       In 2002, China and ASEAN signed a framework agreement to start the construction of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA), which came into effect in 2010.
      Under this world's largest FTA, more than 90 percent of the goods between China and ASEAN countries can be traded at zero tariffs, and restrictive measures on services and investment have also been substantially lifted.
      Trade volume between the two sides jumped from less than 8 billion U.S. dollars in 1991 to 684.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, an increase of more than 80 times. In 2020, ASEAN and China became each other's largest trading partners.
      After the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement, a mega trade deal between 10 ASEAN member states plus China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Australia and New Zealand, officially took effect at the beginning of this year, the rosy prospects for China and ASEAN are highlighted by their even-closer economic and trade exchanges.
      Customs data showed that in the first quarter, China's imports and exports to ASEAN reached 1.35 trillion yuan (202.2 billion U.S. dollars), an increase of 8.4 percent year on year, accounting for 14.4 percent of China's total foreign trade.
      During the period, trade between China and ASEAN accounted for 47.2 percent, or nearly half, of China's foreign trade with RCEP partners, according to the data.
      Last November, celebrating the 30th anniversary of the ASEAN-China dialogue relations, the two sides jointly announced the establishment of a China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership, a new milestone in their relations.
      HIGHER LEVEL AND BEYOND
       "The economic relations between ASEAN and China have never been stronger and closer than today," ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi said at a summit held last week.
      "In response to the fast-changing global economic landscape in the post-pandemic era, ASEAN and China are moving towards a new forward-looking partnership," he said, adding that "the scope of this partnership is wide-ranging and includes many emerging priorities such as resilient supply chains, digital economy, and sustainability."
      China is actively building the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN FTA with ASEAN members, according to Commerce Minister环境整治"四清一美一提升"百日攻坚行动,防汛防旱,水环境整治迎检等重点工作进行布置;部分村及单位负责人作表态发言.会议期间,镇政府与各村签订了防汛防旱工作目标责任状.
  沙沟镇党委副书记,镇长陈富钧主持会议并就贯彻落实会议精神提出要求:要统一思想讲政治,变"要我干"为"我要干";要多措并举强担当,变"应付干"为"真心干";要争先进位抢红旗,变"常规干"为"激情干",全力做好当前农业农村重点工作.(宗婧 姜洪义)