The annual trade fair in Dongxing City in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region cashes in on its advantageous location bordering Vietnam.
Nicknamed "miniature Hong Kong", Dongxing city in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, boasts a favorable location that fosters a healthy border trade with Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries. The annual border trade fair under way is not only an occasion for economic cooperation, it is also an opportunity for friendly exchanges between the two peoples of China and Vietnam.
By the time the morning sun shines on the clean water of the Beilun River, people on both banks have already begun their day of work. It is not yet 8 am. With the rumbling of motors, small ships carrying people and commodities are busy coming and going on the river. At the same time, many people are queuing at the gate of the Dongxing Port beside the Sino-Vietnam Bridge. As usual, they are waiting for the opening of customs. The door of the Port opens at 8am sharp. People just can't wait to rush to the other end of the bridge, hauling both large and small bags through that confined passage. On the wharf side, people are almost frantically loading and unloading goods from ships. Such begins a day in Dongxing city in Guangxi Province, a border Port between China and Vietnam.
“Border trade in Dongxing is a long-established tradition. There has been exchange with Mong Cai in Vietnam ever since the inception of Dongxing City. The two cities are economically dependent upon each other to exactly the same extent,” said Pan Zhuohuan, vice director of Border Economic Management Comm.in Dongxing.
Due to the advantageous positioning of Dongxing City, the Special Zone Office under the State Council in 1992 approved the establishment of the Dongxing Border Economic Cooperation Zone. Preferential policies make it possible for the economy in Dongxing to gain unusual development at the same time as further expanding border trade.
The expansion of border trade in Dongxing creates huge business opportunities and draws many businessmen from elsewhere. The local government of Dongxing has implemented policies to attract outside funds in order better promote the development of border trade. The annual Sino-Vietnam border trade fair has become one of the most important activities that play positive roles in border trade expansion in Dongxing.
August 28 is an auspicious day for most Chinese, and it is on this day that the Sino-Vietnamese Border Trade Fair 2002 was officially launched. Different from the past fairs, the recent one not only attracted businesses from home and abroad, but also from Guizhou Province, a Western province in China, which participated in the fair for the first time. “Guizhou and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region are both under the country's Western Development Project. Dongxing is a port city. We want to establish trade cooperation with Vietnam with Fangchenggang and Dongxing City as the bridge,” said Zhang Xianmin, vice governor of Qiannan Buyi and Miao Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province.
With the same goal in mind, Vietnam also sent a large delegation to participate in this grand fair. “We have been holding such trade fairs frequently since 1998 between Quangninh Province and China's Guangxi Province. They are highly conducive to the development of bilateral trade and have brought huge economic benefits to both sides,” said Nguyen Van Khiem, director of Commercial Dept. of Quangninh Province, Vietnam.
At the China-ASEAN summit in November 2001, a proposal was raised to establish a China-ASEAN Free Trade Zone in the coming 10 years. Expectantly, the framework agreement will be officially confirmed this November. This is a good opportunity for cities bordered with ASEAN countries, and as the center of this region, Dongxing City is sure to attract the attention of people from all walks of life. “As Dongxing will serve as a link to ASEAN countries, to have a share in the Dongxing market means to have a share in Southeast Asia, so people are enthusiastic about making investments here,” said Pan Zhuohuan, vice director Border Economic Management Comm., Dongxing.
With the boosting of border trade, friendly exchanges between the peoples of China and Vietnam in the border area are expanding as well. The annual singing party is an opportunity for the two peoples to express their mutual good will. They are not only singing of a good life at present, but also of a bright future. Hopefully, Sino-Vietnamese trade will continue to grow to the accompaniment of these lovely songs.
Background:
1. A Border Economic Cooperation Zone was established in Dongxing City in 1992. Dongxing is a first-grade port city that connects China with Vietnam by both sea and land.
2. The annual border trade volume has been accounting for over 30% of Guangxi's total trade volume since 1990. Small trade volume makes up over 65% of this total. The export and import volume reached 800 million yuan in 2001.
(Sept.16,2002)
Editor: Wang Yin
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