Officials from China and ASEAN countries reached a Nanning Consensus Thursday to strengthen inspection and quarantine cooperation and speed up the establishment of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area.

 

The five-point Consensus, reached at the China-ASEAN Forum on Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Cooperation on the China- ASEAN Expo, are as follows:

 

--We all recognized that protection of human, animal and plant health, environment and consumer's rights, and products quality assurance are of great importance and our responsibilities are heavy, so that it is necessary for us to strengthen inspection and quarantine cooperation.

 

--We also recognized that inspection and quarantine laws and regulations, standards and procedures certainly influence international trade. Therefore information exchange and compliance with principles of transparency, harmonization with international standards, equivalence, regionalization, multilateral and bilateral mutual recognition and accreditation are desirable in order to avoid unnecessary obstacle to international trade.

 

--We recognized the importance of strengthening inspection and quarantine cooperation between China and ASEAN countries. In order to contribute more to the economic development and the establishment of China-ASEAN FTA, we need to establish mechanism of consultation and cooperation so as to further strengthen full- ranged cooperation on inspection and quarantine. Such mechanism may help to minimize unauthorized movement of high risk agriculture products in respect of pests and diseases and food borne illness agents. --We recognized the importance of inspection and quarantine technical cooperation and capacity building, and will cooperate more closely in this respect. --We recognized the need to sign the Memorandum of understanding (MOU) between China and ASEAN on inspection and quarantine cooperation. And we will promote and further the cooperation in the spirit of friendship and mutual benefit including mutual recognition arrangement (MRA).

 

China and ASEAN are making great efforts to build a China- ASEAN free trade area by 2010. Experts predicted the trade volume between the two sides to reach US$200 billion by 2008. More frequent trade and personnel exchanges require China and ASEAN countries to provide more effective entry and exit inspection and quarantine work.

 

"The consensus will enhance common understanding and cooperation between China and ASEAN in entry and exit inspection and quarantine area, promote discussion among China and ASEAN countries on global public health issues and will play a bigger role in preventing spread of epidemic diseases and promoting development of China-ASEAN trade," said Ge Zhirong, vice director of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China on the forum.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 3, 2006)