July 1, 2005 We cordially request your presence at the 2nd China-ASEAN Expo! The China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO), advocated by H.E. Premier Wen Jiabao of the People¨s Republic of China and co-sponsored by the ministries of economy and trade of China and the 10 ASEAN Countries and the ASEAN Secretariat, is the first large-scale state-level international exposition that is with the theme of promoting the construction of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (CAFTA). The 2nd Expo will be held from October 19 to 22, 2005 in Nanning, Guangxi. The economic and trading relations between China and ASEAN enjoy fast growth in recent years, which lays down a solid foundation for CAFTA construction. At the end of 2004, the Agreement on Trade in Goods and the Agreement on Disputes Settlement Mechanism were signed by China and ASEAN, marking the substantial initiation of CAFTA construction. Since July 1, 2005, tariffs reduction programs were launched by the 11 countries upon 7,000 categories of commodities. Majority tariffs will be deducted to null by 2010. In 2010, on the completion of the construction, CAFTA will have 1.8 billion consumers, GDP volume of USD 2 trillion and total trading volume of USD 1.2 trillion collectively. The bilateral trading volume between China and ASEAN will be expected to increase from USD 105.6 billion in 2004 to USD 200 billion. The 1st Expo held in 2004 gained overall praises of the state leaders, exhibitors and participants from China and the ASEAN Member Countries. The 1st Expo had the presence of state leaders of China, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, 40 ASEAN distinguished guests at vice ministerial level and over 20,000 participants. 1,500 enterprises participated as exhibitors, booking more than 2,500 international standard booths. The trading volume of USD 1.084 billion was reached, and the contractual volume concerning foreign investment topped USD 4.968 billion. The Expo has preliminary set up a platform for economic and trading exchanges between China and ASEAN, creating more opportunities for the two sides to enchase understanding and to strengthen cooperation in the fields of bilateral trade and investment. The 2nd Expo will set up 3,500 international standard booths for 4 themes, namely, the National Theme of 11 Countries, the Theme of Commodity Trade, the Theme of Investment Cooperation and the Theme of Tourism. The Theme of Commodity Trade will take up 2,500 booths, focusing on 5 categories of commodities ！ machinery and equipments, electronic and electric products, hardware and construction materials, light industry products and handcrafts, farm produces and foodstuffs. The 400 booths in the Theme of Investment Cooperation will emphasize on investment inviting projects, international economic cooperation and advanced and applicable technologies for small and medium-sized enterprises. The 2nd Expo till now has drawn great attention from enterprises at home and broad. By the end of June, 2,800 international standard booths have been booked, and one third of which were booked by enterprises of the 10 ASEAN Countries. The Expo will serve as your personal platform to enjoy ＾one-stop￣ services for purchasing commodities with competitive edges from China and the 10 ASEAN Member Countries, and to seize opportunities for collective acquaintances of the market demands, projects information, investment environment and potentials for tourism cooperation of the 11 countries. The 2nd China-ASEAN Expo cordially welcomes the participation of government organizations, manufacturers, investors and agencies of countries (regions) around the world. We are convinced that the golden platform jointly constructed by 11 countries will provide you with new business opportunities for further development. In Nanning in the Golden October, we shall be expecting your presence! For detailed information of the 2nd China-ASEAN Expo and on-line registration, please visit the official website of the Expo http://www.caexpo.org. The Organizing Committee of CHINA-ASEAN EXPO
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