Brief introduction to RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee

The remarkable Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) entered into force on January 1, 2022. RCEP is a free trade area with the largest population, the largest economy, the most diverse membership structure and the greatest development potential in the world.

President Xi Jinping has mentioned RCEP many times. In his keynote speech at the Boao Forum for Asia on April 21, 2022, Xi stressed that “China will fully implement the RCEP and promote the negotiation and signing of high-standard free trade agreements with more countries and regions.” Premier Li Keqiang made special arrangements for RCEP at four executive meetings of The State Council.
The RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee is composed of 15 member states, working with relevant parties to promote trade, investment and industrial cooperation among countries in the region and the development of RCEP.
The RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee is led by the China-ASEAN Business Council and initiated by relevant chambers of commerce and industry of 15 RCEP member states. The RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee held its inaugural ceremony in April 2021. Commercial counselors and Chinese representatives from the embassies of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand and other countries attended the ceremony.

Chairman of RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee: Xu Ningning

The China-ASEAN Business Council (CABC) is one of the dialogue and cooperation mechanisms between China and ASEAN, which represents the business communities of China and ASEAN. On November 8, 2001, the inaugural meeting and the first meeting of China-ASEAN Business Council were held in Jakarta, Indonesia. Then Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji and then Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri attended the inaugural ceremony of CABC and announced its establishment.

Since its establishment, the RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee has carried out a series of work to promote China-ASEAN cooperation:

The first meeting of the RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee reached consensus on five points

The first meeting held in May 2021 reached consensus on five points to advance cooperation, including:

— The top priority for RCEP development is for all countries concerned to complete their domestic ratification as soon as possible. This will help boost business communities’ confidence in economic development and give them and relevant government departments more time to prepare for the opening of the market.

— Major business associations in the RCEP region can formulate action plans for synergetic development.

— As COVID-19 continues to spread around the world, it is suggested that RCEP member states should balance the relations between defeating the pandemic and opening up markets, and further enhance anti-epidemic cooperation, which will help implement the RCEP agreement. The business communities should work together to contribute to the anti-epidemic cooperation and participate in the RCEP construction, so as to jointly help realize the RCEP’s anticipated goals.

Hosting the conferences
The China-ASEAN Business Council and the RCEP Industruy Cooperation Committee hosted more than 20 RCEP-themed meetings, including:
China-ASEAN Food Industry Cooperation Matchmaking Conference;
China-ASEAN Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry Cooperation Matchmaking Conference;
China-ASEAN Building Materials Industry Cooperation Conference;
China (Shanxi) -ASEAN Economic and Trade Cooperation Matchmaking Conference;
RCEP• Hebei Cooperation and Development Forum;
2021 Philippine Business Forum;
China-Vietnam Business Opportunities Matchmaking Conference;
China-ASEAN Traditional Chinese Medicine Product Promotion Conference;
Workshop on the work before RCEP entered into force;
Provinces and cities to seize RCEP Opportunities Conference;
Industry Seizing RCEP Opportunities Conference;
RCEP Electrical Industry Cooperation Conference;
Enterprises Seizing RCEP Opportunities Conference;
Four seminars on enhancing RCEP industrial Cooperation;
2nd meeting of the RCEP Industrial Cooperation Committee;
Workshop on the work of RCEP after it entered into force;
China-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement Upgrade and Trade Cooperation Symposium.

Assisting Chinese provinces and cities to seize RCEP opportunities

Mr. Xu Ningning, Chairman of RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee, delivered a keynote speech at the 2021 Cooperation Summit of New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor hosted by the Ministry of Commerce, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and Chongqing Municipal People’s Government, and put forward relevant suggestions on high-level construction of a new international land-sea trade corridor.

Mr. Xu Ningning, Chairman of RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee, delivered a keynote speech at the Belt and Road International Industrial Cooperation Forum & China-ASEAN Industry, Supply Chain and Value Chain Integrative Development Forum. The forum was co-hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Guangxi Government. Mr. Xu Ningning delivered keynote speech on China-ASEAN Free Trade Area Version 3.0 and the ways and opportunities of RCEP for China and ASEAN at China-ASEAN Think Tank Strategic Dialogue Forum hosted by Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Counsellors’ Office of the State Council and Guangxi Government. In his speech, Mr. Xu Ningning analyzed the situation of RCEP and China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation, and put forward relevant suggestions on enhancing economic and trade cooperation between Guangxi and RCEP countries.

Mr. Xu Ningning, Chairman of RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee, was invited to visit Shanxi and made suggestions on enhancing trade and economic cooperation between Shanxi and ASEAN during his meeting with Vice Governor of Shanxi.

Mr. Xu Ningning, Chairman of RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee, delivered a speech at the “Guiyang Guian Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference under RCEP” hosted by Guiyang Municipal Government and made a special report on RCEP for Jiangmen Municipal Party Committee Theoretical Learning Center Group (Expansion), attended by 1,000 people online and offline; delivered a special report on “Seizing RCEP Opportunities for Huaihua Industrial Development” for the collective learning meeting of Huaihua Municipal Party Committee Theoretical Learning Center Group (Expanded); delivered a report “RCEP: New Opportunities for Shaoyang’s Development and ASEAN Cooperation” at the special report meeting of Shaoyang Municipal Party Committee and Government; delivered a special lecture on “Docking RCEP Opportunity Report” held in Chenzhou city; delivered a special report on “Opportunities, Challenges and Countermeasures brought by RCEP to the Development of Jinhua’s Open Economy” at the special report held by Jinhua Municipal Committee and Government; delivered a speech at the forum “RCEP and Business Opportunities for Wenzhou Enterprises” held in Wenzhou, and put forward relevant suggestions on enhancing economic and trade cooperation between the above cities and RCEP countries respectively.

Mr. Xu Ningning, Chairman of RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee, was invited to give a speech at RCEP conferences sponsored by Fujian Provincial Department of Commerce, Hebei Provincial Department of Commerce and Hunan Provincial Department of Commerce, and put forward relevant suggestions on enhancing economic and trade cooperation between these provinces and RCEP countries.

Field Visits

Mr. Xu Ningning, Chairman of the RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee, was invited to visit enterprises in relevant provinces and cities and had extensive exchanges with entrepreneurs on how enterprises could seize the new opportunities brought by RCEP.

Hosting ‘Setting Sail for Cooperation and Development with RCEP’s Entry into Force’

On January 1, 2022, the day when RCEP went into effect, the RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee, China-ASEAN Business Council and the Jiangmen Municipal People’s Government of Guangdong Province jointly organized a series of activities entitled “Looking forward to the future of the Region, Seeking New Development of Opening up– Setting Sail for Cooperation and Development with RCEP’s Entry into Force” in Jiangmen, Guangdong Province. These activities are themed on RCEP cooperation, including: congratulatory speeches on the effective implementation of the RCEP; MOU signing ceremony withJiangmen Municipal People’s Government, the unveiling ceremony of the RCEP Cooperation and Exchange Center for Economy, Business, Technology and Culture; the Jiangmen Summit for Chinese Businessmen to boost RCEP economic and trade cooperation, and the launch of Jiangmen Summit Proposal for Chinese Businessmen to enhance economic and trade cooperation under RCEP; and photo exhibitions of RCEP countries.

Those who attended the event and delivered speeches were: former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Lao PDR, H.E. Ambassador of the Kingdom of Cambodia, H.E. Ambassador of the Republic of the Philippines, Former Minister of State, Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore, President of Malaysia China Friendship Association, Director of the Beijing representative office of the Japan External Trade Organisation, Vice Governor of Guangdong Province, Secretary and mayor of CPC Jiangmen Committee, President of China Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Association, President of China Information Industry Trade Association, Vice President and Secretary General of China International Freight Forwarders Association, Honorary President of Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, President of Myanmar Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Vice President of Thai-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Executive Vice President of Indonesian Chinese Entrepreneur Association, Executive Vice President of Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Japan, President of Singapore Chamber of Commerce in China, etc.

On January 1, CCTV news program reported the event. The event attracted the attention of many political and business guests worldwide. Nearly 3 million people at home and abroad watched the live broadcast, including more than 1 million overseas viewers.

Hosting “China (Huaihua) – RCEP Activities for Cooperation and Development “

On January 5, 2022, “China (Huaihua) – RCEP Activities for Cooperation and Development ” was held both online and offline. The event was hosted by RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee, China-ASEAN Business Council and Huaihua Municipal Government of Hunan Province. This is the first series of activities in central China to seize the opportunities of RCEP after it took effect. The series of events include: “To win the future through cooperation after RCEP’s entry into force”; the first Huaihua-RCEP Cooperation Forum; MOU signing ceremony between China-ASEAN Business Council and Huaihua Municipal Government; China-ASEAN logistics industry (Huaihua) matchmaking meeting; the unveiling ceremony of “China-ASEANLogistics Industry Cooperation Base” in Huaihua city.

Those who attended the event and delivered speeches include H.E. Ambassador of Thailand, H.E. Ambassador of Laos, Secretary and Mayor of CPC Huaihua Committee, Port Office Director of the Government of Hunan Province, Commercial Counsellor of Cambodia Embassy, Commercial Counsellor of Laos Embassy, Director of the Beijing representative office of the Japan External Trade Organization, Vice President of Laos Chamber of Commerce, President of Khmer-Chinese Association In The Kingdom Of Cambodia, President of Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Brunei, Vice President of Singapore-China Chamber of Commerce, Vice President of Malaysia-China General Chamber of Commerce, President of Cambodia Logistics Association, President of Thailand Logistics Association, Former President of Myanmar International Freight Forwarders Association, President of Brunei Shipping Association, etc.

Members of the RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee are representative and well-known leaders of chambers of commerce and industry. Representatives of the business communities of the RCEP 15 member states of the committee jointly expressed that they will strengthen industrial cooperation and promote regional trade and investment.

Since the RCEP came into force, all parties are taking active actions in response to new changes and opportunities brought about by the opening market in the region. The RCEP Industry Cooperation Committee is ready to work with relevant parties to take the RCEP agreement as an opportunity to give full play to its role, promote regional efforts to build a new supply chain with complementary advantages, and help enterprises seize the RCEP opportunity for new development.