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| 5TH ASEM Economic Ministers Meeting opens in Dalian |
| CCTV.COM 2003-07-24 13:07:02 |
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The 5th Asia－Europe Meeting Economic Ministers' Meeting opened this morning （Thursday） in Dalian, a coastal city in northeast China's Liaoning Province. The meeting, attended by over 250 delegates from all the 26 ASEM members, is focusing on global economic growth, the new round of WTO free trade talks, facilitation of trade, promotion of investment, direction of development of Asian and European economies and closer partnership between the two continents. Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi and European Union Commissioner for Trade Pascal Lamy, addressed the opening ceremony of the meeting.
In Wu’s opening speech, Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi said the current ASEM Economic Ministers' Meeting is important for cooperation between Asia and Europe as the global economy is facing challenges to continued growth. She said participants in the meeting would discuss various development issues, the formulation of new WTO rules, and work to specify priorities for Asia－Europe cooperation. She expressed the hope that the meeting will achieve its goals. "The ASEM meetings have been committed to promoting and safeguarding the multilateral trade system. We hope all ASEM members will seek common ground while reserving differences, work to find converging points of interests and reach consensus on relevant issues, so as to move forward the new round of WTO talks and provide the most effective support to the multilateral trade system," she said.
Addressing the opening session, European Commissioner for Trade Pascal Lamy said as economic growth has brought economic integration to global economies, the two continents must make special efforts to promote the process of trade liberalization.
The 26 ASEM members include China, seven ASEAN nations, 15 EU member states, Japan, and South Korea. Asian and European nations have maintained a long－term cooperative partnership which has strengthened since the first ASEM was held in Bangkok in 1996. Asia now accounts for 21 percent of Europe's total exports and is its third largest trade partner and fourth largest destination for direct investment.
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Editor: Yang Feiyang CCTV.com
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