Preparation for China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone Goes Smoothly:

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, February 21, 2002

Preparation for China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone Goes Smoothly:

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Preparations for establishing the China-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Free Trade Zone within 10 years has gone smoothly, China's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Kong Quan said here Wednesday.

When answering a question from the press, Kong said that the two sides have begun to contact and everything is "going well."

China recently sent a special delegation to some ASEAN countries on a fact-finding mission. ASEAN senior officials met inearly February for a preliminary study on launching negotiations for building the China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone.

As the next step, the two sides will work out a negotiation plan through talks, according to Kong.

"We believe that the free trade zone will be advantageous to both sides," he said.

Chinese and ASEAN leaders reached consensus in their summit in Brunei last November that the China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone should be established within the coming 10 years. They also authorized economic ministers and senior officials from both sides to negotiate a free trade pact as soon as possible.

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