Commerce Ministry assures export growth upon ASEAN-China cooperation

BANGKOK, 18 January 2011 (NNT) – The Commerce Ministry is confident that Thai exports to China will greatly benefit from the upcoming ASEAN-China cooperation in trade and investment.

During his attendance at the ASEAN-China Business Forum, Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Ponlaboot pointed out that the economic, trade and investment cooperation between ASEAN and China had started to yield concrete outcomes. One of the most notable projects is the China City Complex, which will be constructed on a 700,000 square meter plot of land on Bang Na-Trat Road with an aim to serve as an exhibition space for products from China, ASEAN and Thailand.

Being the largest of its kind in the ASEAN region with an investment budget of 45 billion THB, the exhibition complex is expected to help create up to 70,000 new jobs domestically. In response to protests against the project by some small and medium enterprises (SMEs), Mr Alongkorn reassured that the country’s trade and export sector would gain substantial benefits from such investment.

Moreover, Thailand is joining hands with China in opening another exhibition center in the Chinese city of Yi Wu in Zhejiang province in the next 3 years. The center will play an important role in promoting Thai products and also doubling Thai exports to the trade partner country.