Dongyan Chen, iChongqing news

Chongqing- Being attached great importance by China and Singapore top leaders, the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity, and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) plays a vital leading role in the regional development of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN. Experts shared their views on the cooperative development of ILSTC in Asia, in a meeting with the local officials of Chongqing,  on 21st May 2019.

Former ambassadors to Nepal, Singapore, Thailand, Bangladesh, Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Ireland, and the Secretary of ASEAN-China Center attended the meeting, organized by China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstrative Initiative on Strategic Connectivity Administrative Bureau. The relationship between China and the ASEAN  is going well, which provide a good environment for the development of ILSTC and relevant projects. ILSTC is the fastest route connecting China's inland western region with major ports in South China as well as ASEAN members and countries participating in BRI, but it goes far beyond logistic projects.

For a sustainable future, the corridor should be developed in a way that all parties' interests are taken into consideration, the experts suggested to the Bureau. Starting from projects of mutual benefits, taking the needs of the ASEAN countries into consideration before proposing cooperation, and a market-driven mechanism, are the main factories the Bureau should care.

Mr. Han Baocang, director of the Bureau briefed that Chongqing is the operating center for the  China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity, focusing on modern logistic and services cooperations, including four major fields, the financial services, aviation industry, transportation and logistics, information and communications, which will help the city to play a leading role in West China, and to drive other western provinces to further open-up.

A memorandum of cooperation between  China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity Administrative Bureau and ASEAN-China Center was signed during the meeting, which intends to promote Chongqing and neighboring provinces to further cooperate on trade, investment, media, education, culture, and tourism with ASEAN.

 

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