ASEAN Urged to Forge Closer Economic Partnership With China

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, January 08, 2002

ASEAN Urged to Forge Closer Economic Partnership With China

Incoming WTO Chief Supachai Panitchpakdi from Thailand has urged Southeast Asian countries to forge closer economic partnership with China and continue with economic reforms

Incoming WTO Chief Supachai Panitchpakdi from Thailand has urged Southeast Asian countries to forge closer economic partnership with China and continue with economic reforms

Supachai made the urging while making a comment on China's entry into WTO at the one-day regional forum Tuesday organized by Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

"China's entry as more or less as a wake up call" for the region's countries to carry on economic reforms as quickly as possible lest Southeast Asian countries should risk being left behind in the global marketplace, he said.

"Such reforms would allow Southeast Asian countries to forge closer economic partnerships with the world's most populous country fast emerging as an important export market," Supachai added.

Closer economic partnerships with China would mean the region "will be less dependent on outside trading forces in major trading areas around the world," Supachai said.

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