China-ASEAN Cooperation in 2012

VIII. Development of the Greater Mekong

Subregion (GMS)

Trade and Investment

China have taken an active part in and vigorously promoted the construction of the GMS economic corridor. At the fourth GMS Economic Corridor Forum held in Mandalay, Myanmar on June 28, 2012, China put forward a series of proposals on the construction of the GMS economic corridor, including promoting the construction of transport corridor, Pan-Asia railway, industrial parks, cross-border cooperation zone, trade facilitation and information superhighway, realizing full connectivity, and strengthening the capacity building on economic corridor cooperation. China also hosted a workshop of trade facilitation officials for GMS countries in the first half of the year and plans to train 1,500 professionals for GMS countries in the coming three years.

Environment

China attaches great importance to environment cooperation and exchanges with GMS countries. China has taken an active part in the study and formulation of the second phase framework document and action plan (2012-2016) of the Core Environment Program-Biological Diversity Corridor Initiative (CEP-BCI) (2006-2011). The 18th annual meeting of the GMS environment working group held in Jinghong City, Yunnan Province of China in May, adopted the general action plan of the second phase of the CEP and kicked off the implementation of the program.

Transportation

The third bridge over the Mekong River (Chiang Khong-Houayxay Bridge) linking the Laos and Thailand on the west route of the GMS North-South Economic Corridor (Kunming-Laos-Bangkok highway) was jointly funded by the Chinese and Thai governments. The construction of the bridge started in February, 2012 and is expected to finish and open for traffic in June, 2013. The Chinese section of the middle route of the corridor (Kunming-Hanoi-Haiphong), which is 407 km in length, has been upgraded to expressway standards. The Chinese section of the 1208-km-long east route of the corridor (Kunming-Nanning-Hanoi), which is 179 km in length, has been upgraded to expressway standards.

China has engaged in close cooperation with ASEAN countries. In order to facilitate road transportation between the ports of the two countries, China and Vietnam signed the Agreement on Permitting Licenses for International Road Transportation in Beijing in May, 2012, agreeing to open four passenger routes and one freight route linking the Chinese and Vietnamese ports. The opening ceremony of the routes was held in August, 2012.

IX. Poverty Alleviation and Social

Development

On September 26 and 27, 2012, the sixth China-ASEAN Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction under the theme of "China and ASEAN: Inclusive Development and Poverty Reduction" was held in Guangxi.

From September 13 to 15, the seventh China-ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Social Welfare and Development under the theme of "promoting social welfare and security for the disadvantaged people" was held in Hanoi.

China will also host the China-ASEAN seminar on spatial information products sharing in disaster risk mitigation in the year and co-host with the ASEAN Secretariat the China-ASEAN high-level seminar on the standardization of public service in social security, where participants are expected to discuss the design and operation of public service in social security.

X. Youth Exchange

C China will organize four training courses for young ASEAN government officials in 2012 and train 200 young government officials for ASEAN. Three courses have been completed.

In May, the eighth Lancang-Mekong River Youth Friendly Exchange Program was held in China, Thailand and Cambodia, joined by 68 youth representatives from the six GMS countries, including 11 from China. The program has been held eight times so far with the participation of 519 youth representatives from the six GMS countries.

China plans to host the seventh China-ASEAN Youth Camp in November and invite 100 young people from the ten ASEAN countries to visit China.

China have sponsored a host of China-ASEAN student summer (winter) camps, the Chinese Bridge language competitions and other programs to encourage universities in China's border provinces to actively engage with their counterparts in ASEAN countries. Nearly 1,000 youngsters from ASEAN countries visit China each year, contributing to the mutual understanding and friendship between the younger generation on the two sides.