Forum opens in China, highlighting new opportunities brought by RCEP

NANNING, July 8 (Xinhua) -- The 12th Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic Cooperation Forum opened Friday in Nanning, the capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, highlighting the shared opportunities brought by the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

RCEP provides greater convenience for trade between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor is an important platform for the implementation of RCEP, said Low Yen Ling, minister of state for the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth of Singapore.

"With the implementation of RCEP and booming development of the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, we expect the Beibu Gulf Port to embrace a new period of rapid development," said Li Yanqiang, chairman of Beibu Gulf Port Group.

So far, Beibu Gulf Port has operated 71 container routes, connecting it with more than 200 ports in over 100 countries and regions.

At the forum, which was held both online and offline, participants also exchanged views on other topics, such as improving industrial chains, integrating into the joint construction of Belt and Road, and building Beibu Gulf into an international gateway port and a hub port.

Initiated in 2006, the Pan-Beibu Gulf Economic Cooperation Forum is a platform to discuss cooperation between China and the ASEAN.