Nigeria Times

By People’s Daily reporters

With China relaxing and optimizing its visa-free policies and introducing measures to facilitate foreign travelers, “China travel” has become a top choice for many international tourists. 

According to the latest data from the National Immigration Administration of China, in 2024, immigration authorities nationwide handled 610 million border crossings, a year-on-year increase of 43.9 percent. 

Among them, 291 million border crossings are made by Chinese mainland residents, 254 million by Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents, as well as 64.88 million by foreign nationals. These three figures went up by 41.3 percent, 38.8 percent and 82.9 percent, respectively, compared to 2023. Nearly 20.12 million foreign nationals entered China visa-free last year, an increase of 112.3 percent.

This ease of travel has opened new windows and channels for the world to understand China, showcasing a true, diverse, and vibrant image of the country.

Recently, “Travel to China after work on Friday” became a trending topic on South Korean social media. Data from South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport showed a significant increase in South Korean tourists traveling to China since China implemented a visa-free policy for South Korea on Nov. 8, 2024. In that month, 993,400 South Korean tourists visited China, up 47 percent from the same period last year.

Since the end of 2023, China’s visa-free “circle of friends” has been steadily expanding. To date, China has implemented a complete mutual visa exemption with 26 countries. It has issued a unilateral visa-free policy for 38 countries, a visa-free transit policy for 54 countries, and reached mutual visa-free agreements with 157 countries and regions. 

On Dec. 17 last year, China comprehensively relaxed its visa-free transit policy, extending the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers from the previous 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours and increasing the number of visa-free transit ports from 21 to 60. Foreign nationals entering China through the visa-free transit policy can make cross-province travels within allowed areas in 24 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.

Visa-free policies are increasingly taking effect, further boosting the popularity of “China travel.” Within half an hour of China’s visa-free policy announcement for Poland in June 2024, searches for related keywords by Polish users on Trip.com increased by 40 percent from a day ago. 

A resident in Warsaw named Milena, who loves Chinese culture, immediately decided to visit China. After spending 10 days exploring places like Zhangjiajie, she was deeply impressed. “It was incredible! I hope my friends can see China’s landscapes with their own eyes.”

Belgian tourists Patrick, Luc, and Ingrid recently returned from a trip to China. “Waking up on the train’s sleeper to the stunning views of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau was amazing,” one of them said. “The more you explore China, the more you feel its charm. One visit isn’t enough, we’re eager to come back and learn more about Chinese culture.”

Not long ago, Juergen Kremer, a German who speaks fluent Chinese, embarked on a trip to China. As the chief commercial officer of Shanghai China International Travel Service Ltd., Frankfurt Office, he went to China to develop hiking routes there for German tourists and participate in the China International Travel Mart.

“Our China routes are very popular, with many products selling out quickly upon launch,” Kremer noted. According to him, besides traditional routes, newly developed ones like those to the Yangtze River and the Three Gorges are also in high demand. The number of tourists the company received in 2024 has returned to the levels of 2019, and is expected to keep growing in 2025.

The surge in “China travel” has also driven growth in the aviation transport market. Daniel Lee, CEO of Malaysia’s travel service provider Gofay Airways, stated that with the growing enthusiasm for cross-border travel between China and Malaysia, the aviation sector has seen continuous growth. Recently, 18 new direct flight routes have been launched between the two countries, covering multiple cities, better meeting the needs of tourists.

As the adage goes, seeing is believing. Inbound tourism is a crucial way for international tourists to understand China. Zeng Bowei, director of the Tourism Economy and Policy Research Center of Beijing Union University, said the visa-free policies not only boost inbound tourism but also send a strong signal of China’s opening up. As the effects of these policies unfold, more foreign tourists are expected to visit China, he noted.

An article published on The Independent Singapore believes that China’s expansion of visa-free policies has broader implications for global tourism. By actively providing more convenient entry and exit services for international tourists, China helps reduce travel barriers, rapidly grows its tourism industry, and encourages other countries to adopt similar policies, making global travel more convenient and fostering international economic and cultural exchanges, ultimately promoting global connectivity.

By Zhao Yipu, Li Chen, Pang Geping, People’s Daily

From Jan. 15 to 18, the Global Mayors Dialogue Nanning was held in Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

Themed “Building a China-ASEAN Community of Friendship: Urban Openness and Cooperation,” the event brought together mayors, representatives, and experts from eight countries, including China, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. 

A municipal official from an ASEAN country participating in the event said that ASEAN and China are among the most dynamic regions globally, and the cities from both sides should continue fostering economic and trade cooperation and friendly exchanges to inject new vitality into the building of a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

In recent years, economic and trade cooperation between China and ASEAN has significantly strengthened, leading to a steady increase in bilateral trade volume and the deepening integration of industrial, supply, and value chains.

The Global Mayors Dialogue Nanning resulted in the signing of 14 projects across various sectors including sister city partnerships, trade, logistics, education, and tourism. These projects involve countries such as Myanmar, Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, and Singapore, and have attracted total foreign investment exceeding 3.3 billion yuan ($450 million).

The event also saw the release of the Nanning Initiatives. Nong Shengwen, Party chief of Nanning, stated that the initiative aims to deepen practical cooperation at this new historical juncture and accelerate the building of a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future, contributing to global peace and development.

Mayor of Yangon City Bo Htay remarked that the fruitful outcomes of the event would further stimulate economic and trade vitality between ASEAN and Chinese cities, benefiting people in both regions. 

“Yangon has sister city relationships with several Chinese cities, including Nanning, and we look forward to strengthening these ties,” Bo Htay said. According to him, Yangon aims to explore more areas of cooperation with Nanning such as education, electricity, agricultural trade, and electric vehicle production and promotion. During the event, Yangon and Nanning signed a memorandum of understanding on a friendly exchange plan for 2025-2026.

The Detian Waterfall, located in Daxin county, Chongzuo, Guangxi, flows majestically down from the cliffs, connecting with Vietnam’s Ban Gioc Waterfall. It is Asia’s largest and the world’s fourth-largest transnational waterfall. In October 2024, the China-Vietnam Detian-Ban Gioc Waterfall cross-border tourism cooperation zone officially began operations. It is the first of its kind in China.

Nguyen Van Hanh, chairman of the People’s Committee of Lang Son City, Vietnam, said Lang Son plans to develop cross-border tourism routes among Lang Son, Mong Cai, and Nanning, using tourism to boost cultural exchanges. He also proposed organizing educational exchanges among institutions in these three cities.

“Maintaining openness and interaction between ASEAN and Chinese cities is not just an opportunity but a responsibility to build a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future,” he said.

Located in southern Thailand, Surat Thani is renowned for its island tours, a major draw for tourists. Bundan Sathirachawal, deputy governor of Surat Thani Province, expressed the hope that more visitors from China and other ASEAN countries would come to visit the province. 

The implementation of the Thailand-China mutual visa exemption agreement has led to a significant increase in the number of Thai citizens visiting China, with a particular surge in winter sports tourism among the younger demographic. 

“There is vast potential for cooperation between Thailand and China in the tourism sector, which will inject vitality into urban prosperity,” the official said.

By People’s Daily reporters

“Rush to the earthquake-stricken area, at full speed!” At 9:05 a.m. on Jan. 7, after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struckDingri county in southwest China’s Xizang autonomous region, the captain of the Dingri county fire rescue brigade, Dondrup Gyaltsen, urgently gave the command.

In just three minutes, the fire rescue brigade was fully equipped and departed to assist the severely affected Chamco township in the epicenter.

To get to Chamco township from Dingri county, the brigade had to travel on two national highways covering a total distance of nearly 40 kilometers, as well as some village roads. Before heading out, Dondrup Gyaltsen was worried that there might be damages to the road which would impede the rescue mission.

“All roads were clear, and we have arrived!” At 9:45 a.m., the brigade reached Chamco township, and Dondrup Gyaltsen promptly reported to higher authorities. “The roads have withstood the strong earthquake, securing precious time for the rescue efforts!” Then the brigade swiftly initiated rescue operations in villages including Gurum.

In the race against time for earthquake relief, every clear path, be it road, power line, or network, was a lifeline and a beacon of hope.

Roads, buying time for rescue efforts

As trucks loaded with relief supplies such as food, drinking water, stoves, and clothes arrived at Tsowa village, Qulho township, Dingri county through a village road, Tashi Phuntsok, head of the village committee, felt considerably relieved: “Fortunately, the village road is not severed by the earthquake, allowing rescue personnel and supplies to arrive promptly.”

Tashi Phuntsok said that since the village road,which directly connected to the national highway, was constructed, the village’s specialty products such as black goji berry, potato, and black barley have reached larger markets.

“The road helps improve villagers’ income, and has now become a ‘lifesaving route’ during this earthquake,” he said.

As of the end of 2024, the total length of roadsopen to traffic in Xizang had reached 124,900 kilometers. About 97.99 percent of townships and 86.05 percent of administrative villages in the autonomous region have access to roads, and the length of rural roads stand at 94,800 kilometers.

“After the earthquake struck, we swiftly mobilized personnel, machinery, and vehicles to conduct a thorough disaster assessment along the main national and provincial highways in the affected area within half an hour. Within just four hours of the earthquake, all damaged national and provincial highways were cleared, enabling rescue teams and emergency relief vehicles to quickly access the disaster zone,” stated Liu Zhiqiang, head of the transport department of Xizang autonomous region.

According to statistics, as of 3:00 p.m. on Jan. 12, Xizang’s transport department had deployed 853 emergency relief vehicles to the disaster area, transporting 17,500 tons of supplies.

Power lines, bringing warmth to people

On the morning of Jan. 7, Kelsang Phuntsok, director of the service center of the State Grid Dingri County Power Supply Company, led a team to the severely affected Gurum village for emergency repairs. After 15 hours, the first circuit in the village was restored. “Power is back on!” Cheers erupted from the crowd on the scene.

Power was quickly restored in Dingri county less than five hours after the earthquake. Within 18 hours, the most severely affected areas, including Tsogo township, Chamco township, and Qulho township, regained power. By the 34-hour mark, all power lines of severely affected substations, such as those in Lhatse township and Mangpu township in Lhatse county, were fully restored. By the afternoon of January 11, all resettlement sites in the epicenter area were successfully connected to the grid.

In recent days, State Grid Xizang Electric Power Co has been repairing and restoring damaged power facilities and carrying out emergency power connection work. All tents and prefabricated houses in the disaster area have been connected to power lines.

Network, uniting efforts, strengthening collaboration

On the day after the earthquake, technical staff member Lhaphun from China Mobile’s Xizang branch rushed to the disaster area. Equipped with safety ropes and taking circuit boards, he climbed up base station towers to inspect components, identify issues, and repair lines.

“In areas without network coverage, we also temporarily provided emergency services using Beidou satellite messaging, enabling the public to quickly contact relatives and seek external assistance,” said Lhaphun.

Less than a day after the earthquake, a total of 423 emergency personnel from the information and communication industry, 133 emergency vehicles, and 450 satellite phones were mobilized. By 2:00 p.m. on Jan. 8, all out-of-service base stations in Dingri county due to the earthquake were restored, ensuring the overall stable operation of the public communication network in quake-hit areas.

At the resettlement site in Tsongo village, Qulho township, 17-year-old Tenzin Dzongba sat on the stairs, watching videos on his phone with his friends. “After the earthquake, I was initially very anxious, but watching short videos allowed me to see more progress in the rescue efforts. Knowing that many people are concerned about us and various supplies are being delivered, I no longer feel afraid,” he said.

By He Yin, People’s Daily

This year marks the beginning of the implementation of the outcomes of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). Recently, several African countries including Chad, Djibouti, Madagascar, and the Republic of the Congo signed economic and technical cooperation agreements with China.

The efficient and pragmatic cooperation between China and Africa in various fields has been further deepened, demonstrating the joint efforts of the two sides to move towards modernization together.

Under the guidance of President Xi Jinping, the FOCAC Beijing Summit was successfully held last year, after which bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China were elevated to the level of strategic relations and the overall characterization of China-Africa relations was elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

Jointly advancing modernization that is just and equitable, open and win-win, that puts the people first and features diversity and inclusiveness, and that iseco-friendlyand underpinned by peace and security, China and Africa have strengthened strategic alignment in development and exchanged governance experiences. This has expanded shared values, paving the way for a broader horizon and injecting more momentum into the development of bilateral relations.

There is always vast space for African brothers in China’s endeavor to expand high-standard opening up; and China will never be absent from Africa’s pursuit of development and revitalization.

The ten partnership actions for modernization jointly promoted by China and Africa have set a roadmap for comprehensive deepening of cooperation. China is committed to providing Africa with a broader market, more practical technologies, and more stable investments for its modernization.

China has been granting zero-tariff treatment for all tariff product categories to all least developed countries that have diplomatic relations with China, which creates favorable conditions for high-quality African products to enter the Chinese market. China is also deepening vocational skills training and human resources cooperation with African countries to help the latter strengthen capacity building.

The cumulative installed capacity of photovoltaic power plants built by Chinese companies in collaboration with Africa has exceeded 1.5 GW, and the two sides will also construct an “African Solar Belt”, truly embarking on the path of green and low-carbon development.

President of the Republic of the Congo Denis Sassou Nguesso recently stated that Xi’s proposal of the ten partnership actions for modernization at the FOCAC Beijing Summit covers all areas of China-Africa cooperation and addresses the challenges facing Africa, which is in line with Africa’s needs.

On the journey to modernization, the FOCAC has played a significant role in promoting Africa’s development and improving the livelihoods of the people on the continent. Over the past 25 years since the establishment of the forum, China has helped Africa build 100,000 kilometers of roads, more than 10,000 kilometers of railways, nearly 1,000 bridges and nearly 100 ports. Over the past three years alone, over 1 million jobs have been created in Africa. The livelihood projects implemented in Africa, such as those related to food security, water supply, and education, have benefited the people of many African countries.

Today, the forum has become a symbol of China-Africa solidarity and cooperation, a banner of South-South cooperation, and a model for guiding international cooperation with Africa. The importance China attaches to Africa has attracted increased attention and support from the international community, further promoting Africa’s development.

In the face of profound changes unseen in a century, the world increasingly needs strengthened cooperation between China and Africa. The development of China and Africa represents the rise of the Global South, embodying the strengthening of just forces.

Under the guidance of Pan-Africanism, African countries have accelerated the integration process of seeking strength through unity and pursuing development and revitalization, playing an increasingly important role in international affairs and contributing transformative power to global governance.

China will always be the most trustworthy friend of its African brothers and sisters, the most reliable partner in their pursuit of development and revitalization, and the strongest supporter of Africa on the international stage.

The tradition of making Africa the first overseas destination for China’s foreign minister each new year is a hallmark of Chinese diplomacy, which has been upheld consistently for 35 years. It is a testament to the enduring friendship between China and Africa, and China’s consistent friendly cooperation with Africa.

Strengthening solidarity and cooperation between China and Africa, and jointly safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, aligns with historical justice and the trend of the times.

Regardless of the changing international situation, China and Africa will steadfastly advance cooperation to a higher level, deeper level, and broader scope, jointly promote modernization and build an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.

By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily

Over the past few years, China-U.S. relations have gone through ups and downs, but one thing remains unchanged: only through cooperation can the two countries achieve mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

The 2025 Consumer Electronics Show recently concluded in the U.S. city of Las Vegas once again demonstrated how Chinese and American interests are deeply intertwined, and proved that the two countries can benefit from win-win cooperation.

It is reported that over 1,300 Chinese companies participated in the event, accounting for about 27 percent of all exhibitors.

The latest cooperation achievements between Chinese and American tech companies garnered substantial attention. For example, Chinese artificial intelligence company APLUX and U.S. tech giant Qualcomm jointly unveiled Ultra Magnus, the first humanoid robot prototype. The robot can communicate freely and naturally with visitors and serve them beverages, demonstrating efficient service capabilities.

During the event, Chinese and American companies engaged in face-to-face exchanges across multiple consumer technology sectors, including artificial intelligence glasses, health wearable devices, new energy vehicles, and smart homes. The two countries boast immense potential for cooperation, which will benefit the two peoples.

Under the current circumstances, common interests between China and the U.S.are expanding rather than shrinking. This is a sentiment shared by the vast majority of businesses and people from both sides, and serves as an important foundation for the two countries to work in the same directionfor mutually beneficial cooperation.

Looking back at 2024, China hosted over 3,800 economic and trade events. American companies had the largest exhibition area at the seventh China International Import Expo, and took the largest share of overseas participation at the second China International Supply Chain Expo. ManyU.S. corporate executivesfrequently visited China. These China-U.S. business exchanges have opened up opportunities and fostered mutual success.

The cooperation between Chinese and American enterprises demonstrates that as long as the two countries stay committed to mutual respect, mutual benefit, and equal-footed consultation, follow economic and market rules, and expand and deepen mutually beneficial business cooperation, they can achieve win-win outcomes.

In the past 46 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the U.S., the international situation and the bilateral relationship have gone through tremendous changes. However, a comprehensive examination of China-U.S. relations reveals a wide range of common interests shared by the two sides, with mutual benefit and win-win cooperation being the essential characteristics of bilateral relations.

This is sufficient to enlighten both sides that they should be partners rather than rivals; help each other succeed rather than hurt each other; and seek common ground and reserve differences rather than engage in vicious competition.

Chinahas proposed that both countries should uphold the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, and find the right way to get along in the new era. This is both a profound summary of past experience and a crucial guide for the future.

Chinese ancestors once said, “Parties involved in trade can have their needs met and obtain more benefits.” At the entrance of the Commerce Research Library of the U.S. Department of Commerce, there is an inscription that reads: cultivate peace and commerce with all. This means that mutual benefit and reciprocity holds true in both ancient times and today, and is a shared belief in both Chinese and American businesses.

In 2024, Tesla’s electric vehicle sales in the Chinese mainland hit a record high of 657,000 units, up 8.8 percent yearonyear. Starbucks added 290 new stores to its footprint on the Chinese mainland in the fourth quarter of 2024, entering 78 new county-level markets.

More than 73,000 American companies have established businesses in China by 2024, with the total investment exceeding $1.2 trillion, covering sectors such as electronics and communications, automobile manufacturing, consumer goods, and financial services.

Countless examples show that American businesses investing and doing business in China not only yield profits but also benefit the people of both countries. As China is advancing Chinese modernization and the U.S. isrevitalizing its economy, there is plenty of room for their cooperation.

The interests of China and the U.S. are closely intertwined. Naturally, the two countries have divergences and disagreements between them. Yet these should not become obstacles to their bilateral cooperation.

Faced with the recent years’ new and evolving situationin China-U.S. business ties, the two sides should stay committed to mutual respect, seek common ground while shelving differences, and take constructive measures to enhance understanding and expand consensus.

Tariff wars, trade wars, and tech wars are against the trend of history and laws of economics. They will only disrupt normal trade exchanges and the stability of global industrial and supply chains, which does not serve the interests of any party.

Gary Shapiro, CEO of the U.S. Consumer Technology Association (CTA), warned that the tech sector is America’s economic engine, but proposed tariffs threaten the deflationary power of tech in the global economy. According to a report released by CTA,President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff proposals on technology products could lead to $90 billion-$143 billion decline in U.S. consumer purchasing power in 2025.

MauriceObstfeld, former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, recently observed that using tariffs to increase U.S. powerin the global economy will likely backfire and damage the U.S. economy.

It is never too late to do the right things. At the critical crossroads in the development of China-U.S. relations and the key moment of world economic recovery, it is especially important to define China-U.S. relations by mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, and to take actions responsible for both countries and the world.

Looking ahead, China and the U.S. can help each other succeed and prosper together through cooperation. Together, they can accomplish great things that benefit both countries and the world.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by People’s Daily to express its views on foreign policy and international affairs.)

By Yang Yi, People’s Daily

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is thefree trade area with the biggest population, the largest trade scale and the greatest potential for development.

Since the RCEP came into force in January 2022, it has deliveredincreasingly prominent institutional dividends such as tariff reductions, simplified customs procedures, and trade and investment facilitation. It has played a crucial role in safeguarding the stability and smooth flow of regional industrial and supply chains, propelling the Asia-Pacific into a new period of high-quality economic development.

On the morning of Jan. 2, 2025, a freight train loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables set off from Wangjiaying West Station in Kunming, southwest China’s Yunnan province, bound for Laos along the China-Laos Railway.

This marked a new milestone for the railway, which has transported over 50 million tons of cargo, including 11.58 million tons of cross-border goods, since its full operation on Dec. 3, 2021.

Over the past three years since the RCEP came into force, the China-Laos Railway has emerged as a crucial transport corridor linking China, Thailand, Cambodia, and other countries. With the opening of more shipping routes, goods from Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan can now directly reach Xiamen Port and Quanzhou Port in southwest China’s Fujian province, as well as ports in east China’s Shandong province.

According to a study conducted by the Asian Development Bank, the RCEP is expected to add $245 billion annually to regional income and 2.8 million jobs to regional employment. With the continuous improvement of regional connectivity, the RCEP will unleash more trade benefits.

Providing tremendous opportunities for regional enterprises

Boten townin northern Laos’Luang Namtha province, located only 3 kilometers from the Chinese border town of Mohan in Yunnan, is a crucial border station for transporting goods between China and Laosby land.

“Three years ago, there were only about a dozen customs clearance companies in Boten. Now, there are around 150,” said Zhang Jianli, head of the freight transfer division at the Boten Station of the China-Laos Railway.

Inside the offices of these customs clearance companies, business agents were busy submitting documents, inspecting goods, and paying taxes to ensure timely shipment of goods for their customers.

Thanaleng Dry Port, a border checkpoint located between Lao capital Vientiane and border city Nong Khaiin northeast Thailand, primarily handles goods that need to transit through Laos before reaching China or Thailand.

An official with Thanaleng Dry Port said that with the opening of the China-Laos Railway, the time needed to transport goods by trucks from Vientiane to Boten has reduced from two days to only around four hours, enhancing the logistics efficiency in the region.

By implementing tariff commitments, rules of origin, trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and other trade regulations, the RCEP has maximized the integration of 27 trade arrangements and 44 investment agreements of its members in the region. This has effectively advanced the development of the multilateral trading system and helped maintain the stability of industrial and supply chains across the region.

An executive from the United Overseas Bank in Singapore said that the RCEP has broken down tariff barriers among its members and simplified trade rules. Singaporean enterprises can enjoy an average of 92 percent tariff reduction in China, which provides them with more favorable conditions for expanding their presence in the Chinese market.

Unny Sankar Ravi Sankar, minister of economic affairs of the Malaysian Embassy in China, noted that the RCEP provides abundant opportunities for businesses and investors in the region, contributing significantly to the stable economic development of the Asia-Pacific.

Invigorating regional economic integration

In December 2024, the RCEP Support Unit(RSU)was officially established in Jakarta with the joint efforts of China, the non-ASEAN rotating chair of the RCEP that year, and the ASEAN chair Indonesia.

Kao Kim Hourn, secretary-general of ASEAN,said that the establishment of the RSU was another significant milestone in the development of the RCEP. It will help implement the RCEP in a more comprehensive and high-quality manner and provide support to relevant institutions.

Over the past three years, the RCEP has been unleashing benefits in trade, investment, and regional value chains. As the largest economy of the RCEP, China has been an active promoter of high-quality implementation of the agreement. In the first three quarters of 2024, imports and exports between China and other RCEP members totaled 9.63 trillion yuan ($1.31 trillion), a year-on-year increase of 4.5 percent.

China’s continuous expansion of high-level opening up has injected stability and vitality into the economic development of the Asia-Pacific, providing tremendous opportunities for regional countries to share China’s development benefits.

Data released at the Boao Forum for Asia Bangkok Roundtable in August 2024 indicated that Cambodia is expected to graduate fromLDC (least developed country)status by 2028 due to the development dividends brought by the RCEP.

Cambodian Ministry of Commerce’s Secretary of State and Spokesperson Penn Sovicheat, said that the RCEP and bilateral free trade agreements that Cambodia signed with countries like China and South Korea greatly boosted Cambodia’s trade growth.

According to statistics released by the Department of Trade Negotiations under the Ministry of Commerce of Thailand, in the first ten months of 2024, Thailand’s trade with other RCEP members reached around $269.7 billion, accounting for 53.13 percent of its total trade, up 2.69 percentage points from a year ago.

Tang Zhimin, director of China-ASEAN Studies at the Bangkok-based Panyapiwat Institute of Management, observed that the model of pre-establishment national treatment plus a negative list for foreign investment is one of the most important achievements of the RCEP investment rules.

“Since the implementation of the RCEP three years ago, China has made significant progress in facilitating services trade and investment cooperation with ASEAN countries, demonstrating an increasingly higher level of opening up,” Tang noted.