The 11th Joint Commission on China-ASEAN FTA was held in Beijing on March 13-15, 2018. The Chinese delegation consisted of the Ministry of Commerce, National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the General Administration of Customs, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Yunnan Department of Commerce and Guangxi Department of Commerce. The ASEAN delegation was made up by 10 member countries of the ASEAN.

At the meeting, the two sides spoke highly of the China-ASEAN FTA for its positive effects on both sides’ people and business, especially the progress since the updated China-ASEAN FTA was implemented, and they held in-depth talks on the present problems and its work plan in the future. Extensive talks were also made on the experience and practice of trade facilitation and e-commerce areas. Before and after the meeting, a series of panel meetings were also made concerning rule of origin, economic and technological cooperation, 3C certification and sanitary and phytosanitary measures. Both sides agreed to cement cooperation under the framework of China-ASEAN FTA, make full use of preferential policies and raise bilateral trade and economic cooperation to a new step.

The China-ASEAN FTA is the first and largest free trade zone that China has signed and fruitful achievements have been made since it was completed in 2010. Bilateral trade and economic cooperation has been accelerated on a fast track since the upgraded FTA came into force on July 1, 2016. China is ASEAN’s largest trading partner and ASEAN is China’s third largest trading partner. The implementation of the FTA serves as a major basis to cement and develop the China-ASEAN strategic partnership.