The opening ceremony of 9th China - ASEAN Business and Investment Summit and Forum on China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, 2012 was held in Nanning, Guangxi on September 21. Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping delivered a keynote speech. China International Trade Representative and Vice Minister of Commerce Gao Hucheng addressed the opening ceremony.

Mr. Gao said that the leaders of China and ASEAN countries jointly signed in November 2002 the China-ASEAN Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation, officially launching the building of China-ASEAN Free Trade Areas. China and ASEAN countries have signed agreements and relevant protocols on goods trade, service trade and investment in accordance with the schedule specified, and comprehensive tariff reduction was implemented gradually. On January 1, 2010, China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, which is the largest free trade area among developing countries, covering a population of 1.9 billion, was completed on schedule. Bilateral cooperation in trade and investment has been deepening along with the building of the FTA, and mutually beneficial and win-win results were achieved.

Mr. Gao said that China-ASEAN Free Trade Area is entering into a new development stage, and China would like to work with all ASEAN countries to promote the in-depth development of the free trade area, and make efforts to embrace a brighter future for China-ASEAN mutually beneficial cooperation, promoting common prosperity. He hoped the delegates to make full use of the summit and the forum to offer suggestions.

Present at the opening ceremony were: Leaders from ASEAN countries including Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand, senior government officials from China and ASEAN countries, and experts, scholars and business representatives.