APEC Customs-Business Dialogue to Be Held in ShanghaiThe Seventh APEC Customs-Business Dialogue (ACBD) is to be held August 13-14 in Shanghai, Deputy Commissioner with the General Administration of China Customs (GACC) Zhao Guanghua announced Thursday.The theme of the ACBD this year has been set as "The New Economy -- Moving Customs-Business Partnership and Trade Facilitation to the Next Level," Zhao said. In line with this theme, delegates will discuss the following three topics: "Advancing the Customs Trade Facilitation Strategy to Meet New Challenges," "Implications of E-Commerce and Paperless Trading on Customs and Business" and "Convergence of Customs and Business -- Our Shared Goal in Maintaining Economic Competitiveness," said he. State Councilor Wu Yi will give a keynote speech, and Mayor of Shanghai Xu Kuangdi, GACC Commissioner Mu Xinsheng and President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Yu Xiaosong will also make speeches at the opening ceremony, he said. Zhao noted that common understanding and recommendations reached by the ACBD will be presented to the APEC Committee on Trade and Investment and the APEC Senior Official's Meeting by the Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures, as well as to the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting by the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC). The ACBD will be jointly hosted by the GACC and CCPIT in cooperation with the Shanghai Municipal Government, Zhao said, adding that he himself will chair the meeting. Executive Director of the APEC Secretariat of 2001 Zhang Yan, Secretary General of the World Customs Organization Micheal Danet, Chairman of ABAC 2000 Timothy Ong and Chairman of ABAC 2001 Qin Xiao will also be present, Zhao said. Preparations for the ACBD are basically complete after months of work, Zhao said, adding that up to now, more than 100 correspondents from over 50 media organizations have been registered to cover the ACBD. |
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