“China-ASEAN relations and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) have good prospects. The signing of RCEP is conducive to reducing the cost of free trade in the region and is an important process to promote free trade facilitation in the region.” Joachim von Amsberg, vice president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) participating in the 17th China-ASEAN Expo, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua News Agency reporters on the 28th.
Amsberg said that in an environment where Coronavirus has severely impacted world trade and the reorganization of global supply chains, the signing of RCEP has brought new opportunities for its members to develop.
He said that in the past ten years, the achievements of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area have demonstrated the advantages of free trade. The recently signed RCEP has more members, so it is possible to generate greater benefits and will promote the development of trade in goods and services among all members, thereby helping more people in the region to achieve poverty alleviation.
Amsberg told reporters that actively integrating into the world economy and global trade is of great benefit. Further opening up trade and promoting the process of regional integration will create more development opportunities. He said that the signing of RCEP is a “signal of hope” and a voice to defend free trade.
Talking about the prospects for the implementation of RCEP in the future region, he believes that the countries in the region continue to improve infrastructure construction, but there are still gaps, especially in rural areas of some members, where electricity supply is scarce, water supply and sanitation need to be improved, and transportation is connected. Weak sex and other issues.
He said that the AIIB will be committed to helping governments expand infrastructure investment that meets the requirements of sustainable development and improve the business environment to seize development opportunities. He emphasized that sustainable development is not only the sustainability of the ecological environment, but also the sustainability of the finances, that is, the return generated by the infrastructure can not only repay related debts, but also promote economic development and make people’s lives more prosperous.
Amsberg also stated that infrastructure investment is one of the most effective ways to revitalize the economy after the crisis. He believes that infrastructure investment can usually create short-term employment opportunities, bring long-term economic development potential, and promote environmentally friendly economic development.
