China - ASEAN Trade In Services Cooperation

As the first Free Trade Area Agreement China has signed, the cooperation within China-ASEAN(Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Free Trade Area (CAFTA) has both practical significance and great demonstration effect for China's future regional economic participation and cooperation. Currently, first fruits have been achieved in CAFTA economic cooperation, but limiting factors still remain that can't be well ignored. The asymmetry between economic and trade cooperation scale and their actual potentialities has been greater while the competition in foreign capital absorption and export market which both sides share the same advantage in producing labor-intensive products has gone even fierce. All these show the necessity for the introduction of a new way for further development in CAFTA, thus trade in services promotion has been brought into agenda. As one of the key cooperation fields, fast and healthy development of trade in services will serve a positive effect in regional economic growth. In light of this, this essay tries to conduct a preliminary research on trade in services in CAFTA. Through analysis of the current situation and the barriers to trade in services in CAFTA, this essay generalizes the affecting factors and the successful experiences and finally provides some suggestions and countermeasures.The current situation of trade in services in CAFTA is the basis for analysis of this essay. Chapter one introduces the development of trade in services in China and ASEAN, including total amounts, trends, import and export structures with retrospect of both the commitments China has made when entering the World Trade Organization and the negotiation process in ASEAN. At last, the essay gives an outlook for the agreement to be signed by the end of 2005.Chapter two analyzes the barrier to trade in services in CAFTA. After the introduction of the definition of barrier to trade in services that GATT has made, the essay emphasizes on the analysis of barrier to trade in services in CAFTA. Take into...