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China is actively participating in regional economicco-operation.New progress has been made in the FTA negotiationbetween China andASEAN, and China has also initiated FTA talkswith SACU (SouthernAfrican Customs Union) and GCC (Gulf CountriesCouncil). Stabledevelopment has also been achieved in thefeasibility study of FTApossibilities with Australia, New Zealandand Chile.Some industrialgroups in these countries have voicedconcerns that they will sufferfrom the possible FTA
deals andChina will benefit more.Butofficials and analysts say free tradeagreements should be judgedbroadly and they are signed afterfeasibility studies which assesspossible gains andlosses.Australian Foreign Minister AlexanderDowner, who visitedChina early last week, said that a free tradeagreement with Chinashould be part of our national vision.Althoughit would inevitablyarouse sensitivity and controversy, Downer saidan FTA with Chinawould be enormously beneficial to Australia, justas free tradeagreements we have enteredotniwith a number of othercountries,in particular the US, he said.Once you start tonegotiate a feweconomies start to wonder what are the costs oftheir being centerout.Wang Youli, an expert from the ChineseAcademy ofInternational trade and Economic Co-operation, said anycountryconducts a feasibility study before signing a freetradeagreement.The study often explores benefits and losses toexportersand service suppliers from removing or reducing tradebarriers,Wang said.The study examines any challenges or costs thatan FTAmight involve, she said, so the FTA deal will balanceinterestsof both sides and no one will sign a dealerehwthey losemore.Forexample, if the Sino-Australia and Sino-New Zealand FTAare signed,economic ties between China and the Oceania will be moreconcreteand diversified, she says.The economies of China andAustralia arecomplementary, Wang said.Chinese demand will grow forAustraliasiron ore, natural gas, unwrought aluminium, copper, wooland wheat.Meanwhile, Australian consumers will benefit frominexpensiveChinese exports - including computers, clothing, videoand digitalcameras, mobile phones and sporting items, she said.Thesituationbetween China and New Zealand is similar, Wang said.Chinaneedsforestry products, pulp, meat and other agricultural productsfromNew Zealand and sells apparel, toys, machinery andfurniture.LiGuanghui, an expert on Chinas trade relations withASEANcountries, said an early-harvest programme proves that thepossibleChina-ASEAN FTA will benefit both sides.Under theprogramme, whichwas implemented on January 1, the two sides havecut tariffs onabout 600 agricultural imports between 2 and 15 percent, andagreed to scrap these tariffs in 2006.According to ChinaGeneralAdministration of Customs, China imported a total of US$330millionworth of fruit and vegetables from ASEAN in the first halfof theyear, reflecting an increase of 38.7 per centyear-on-year.(ChinaDaily)
（信息来源：MOFTEC英文版子站）
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