Fri, October 24, 2008
NANNING, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- Experts attending the ongoing 5th China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Expo said cooperation in infrastructure would help the two sides improve their risk resistance to the global financial crisis.
The cooperation in the construction of transport, telecommunications and power generation between China and ASEAN countries would help boost trade and investment and combat the spread of global financial crisis, said He Zuojun, deputy chief ofthe Finance Research Center with the Guangxi University.
The experts said power generation cooperation would not only help ease power shortage that affect China and the ASEAN countries, but also bring about huge amount of investment.
Electricity demand in ASEAN countries would increase by 100 billion kilowatt hours in the next few years, which needs an investment of 200 billion U.S. dollars, according to statistics from the China Electricity Power Industry Association.
Proper power grid construction would make it possible that the hydropower generated in one country could supply surrounding areas, said Chen Runqiu, president of the Guangxi Water Resources and Electric Power Group.
Meanwhile, the building of port infrastructure and China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone would make bilateral trade easier and reduce trade costs, experts said.
China and these countries are building the biggest free trade zone in the world that accommodates nearly 1.9 billion people, and their collaboration is expected to effectively meet the challenges faced by the world.
The expo, from Oct. 22 to 25, is held in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
The expo was proposed by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao five years ago as a platform for elites in this region to exchange views on accelerating economic development and create a better trade environment.
