The “BFA Asia FTA Forum 2013” was Successfully Held in Qingdao

The BFA Asia FTA Forum 2013 was held at the Grand Metro Park Hotel on June 20, 2013, Jimo City, Shandong province. It lasted for one day.Wang Ling,the party secretary of Our univerysity,Prof.Lin Guijun, vice president of UIBE ,Prof.Hong Junjie ,dean of International Economic and Trade School  and Professor Bai Shuqiang attended the forum and delivered  speeches.

The Asia FTA Forum 2013 was co-sponsored by the Boao Forum for Asia and Qingdao Municipality Government, Shandong Province; it was strongly supported by the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Co – organizers included the Asian Development Bank, Asian Development Bank Institute and University of International Business & Economics.

The Forum had 4 sessions: “Production Networks and FTAs in Asia" ,"Regional Economy Monitor", " Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and WTO " and "Sub-regional Cooperation Program: Infrastructure, Trade and Investment".Around 200 people, including 24 guest speakers and 47 participants, attended the Forum.Prof.Hong Jun jie introduce the  "Asian Economic Integration Annual Report".He said that without the paticipation of China, the FTAs negotiation of Asia would only have limited effects.

Negotiations Yu Jianhua, Assistant Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs Le Yucheng, Director of the Asian Development Bank Institute and CEO Masahiro Kawai, Secretary-General of Trilateral Cooperation （China, Japan and South Korea） Secretariat Bong-kil Shin, Singapore Ambassador to China Luo Stanley Loh and Indonesia Representative Ambassador Imron Cotan represented the Trade Counselor Marolopo Nainggolan delivered keynote speech.the MinistryThe Opening Ceremony was presided over by Zhou Wenzhong, Secretary-General of the Boao Forum for Asia. Zhang Xinqi, Mayor of Qingdao, addressed the welcoming speeches, Deputyrepresentative of of International Trade

During the one-day conference, all the representatives attending the four sessions had profound discussions on the construction of a free trade zone in the Asia-Pacific region, how to play a more positive role in the WTO, strengthening the construction of the infrastructure in Asia, achieving interoperability, the current limitations of the existing free trade agreement, the free trade zone construction of Japan and South Korea, FTA, RCEP, TPP, TTIP, efforts which have been made by Qingdao in free trade zone construction, and so on.

This is the second time for our university co-hosted the FTA forums with BoAo Asian forum and Asian development Bank, and first time cohosted with the goverment of QingDao city for the high profile conferences. The forum will deepen our cooperation with BoAo Asian Forum and Asian Development Bank and in light of  the future of further cooperation with Goverments of QingDao