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Cooperation Between APEC Customs, Business Circle Urged
Chinese State Councilor Wu Yi said Monday in Shanghai that customs authorities of members of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) should strengthen cooperation among themselves and with business people to boost trade in the APEC area.
Wu, also an alternate member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the 7th APEC Customs-Business Dialogue (ACBD), part of the series APEC activities hosted by China this year.
She said it is of great importance for customs officials of the 21 APEC members to have speak openly with the business community in the first year of the new century regarding ways to strengthen their partnership and to sharpen the competitive edge of member economies.
She stressed that to facilitate trade is the common goal of APEC customs and the business people. Customs authorities should improve their efficiency, which is the understandable demand of the business circle. The business community can also help the customs authorities to improve efficiency by providing them with reliable information.
As China is to join the World Trade Organization very soon, she said, many Chinese government departments, including the customs, are shifting their working style in accordance with international norms.
The General Administration of Customs (GAC) of China has been carrying out reforms and modernizing its facilities, and is trying to build an electronic customs system.
GAC Director Mou Xinsheng said at the opening ceremony that China's customs will reach the world advanced level within the coming five years.
About 500 customs officials and business people attended the two-day meeting, whose theme is "The New Economy: Moving Customs- Business Partnership and Trade Facilitation to the Next Level." They are to discuss three major topics: trade facilitation; e-commerce and paperless trade; and cooperation between customs and the business community.
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