CNBC:

Question about the development of cross-border e-commerce in 2022. Are there any countries or regions that have purchased goods from China? What are these goods? What are the prospects for cross-border e-commerce this year?

Lyu Daliang: 

Thank you for your questions. First, I will outline the data on cross-border e-commerce. According to preliminary calculations, in 2022, China's cross-border e-commerce imports and exports totaled 2.11 trillion yuan, an increase of 9.8%, with exports and imports increasing by 11.7% and 4.9% to 1.55 trillion yuan and 0.56 trillion yuan, respectively. In recent years, cross-border e-commerce has witnessed rapid development. China has introduced a series of relevant supporting policies to further unleash potential and give full play to the advantages of cross-border e-commerce. Thank you.

China News Service:

We have noticed that ASEAN has remained China's largest foreign trade partner for three consecutive years. Last year, the total value of imports and exports between China and ASEAN grew by 15%. What are the reasons behind the rapid growth in trade between China and ASEAN? How do the customs authorities view the situation? Thank you.

Lyu Daliang:

Thank you for your questions. The bilateral economic and trade exchanges between China and ASEAN have become closer since the two parties established a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2022. Last year, the total volume of imports and exports between China and ASEAN reached 6.52 trillion yuan, an increase of 15%. The volume of exports reached 3.79 trillion yuan, an increase of 21.7%, and the volume of imports reached 2.73 trillion yuan, an increase of 6.8%. During this period, ASEAN saw its proportion in China's foreign trade increase by 1 percentage point from 2021 to 15.5%, maintaining its position as China's largest trade partner.

Specifically, the factors contributing to the rapid growth in trade between China and ASEAN can mainly be attributed to the following aspects.

First, the effective implementation of RCEP has brought trade-creation effects and facilitated cooperation among industrial chains. Over the past year since the implementation of RCEP, the policy dividends have continued to be unleashed, contributing to closer economic and trade exchanges among countries in the region. ASEAN is an important trade partner of China in RCEP. In 2022, China's imports and exports with ASEAN accounted for 50.3% of its total imports and exports with other RCEP members. China's imports and exports of intermediate products with ASEAN increased 16.2% to 4.36 trillion yuan, accounting for 67% of China's total imports and exports with ASEAN.

Second, the ever-improving interconnectivity has facilitated economic and trade exchanges. With the solid progress of the construction of the new western land-sea corridor, the passage of goods in and out of China and ASEAN has become more convenient. Various modes of transportation have developed in a coordinated way, with railway transportation showing significant growth. In 2022, China's imports and exports with ASEAN by rail, water and air increased by 197.6%, 26.7% and 15.5%, respectively. The opening of the China-Laos Railway at the end of 2021 has provided new impetus to further deepen economic and trade cooperation between China and relevant countries. In 2022, among the goods transported by rail between China and ASEAN, 44.7% were through the China-Laos Railway, contributing more than 60% to the growth of imports and exports by rail between China and ASEAN.

Third, cooperation on agricultural goods has deepened, leading to an expansion in imports. In recent years, China has accelerated the pace of importing agricultural products from ASEAN members and continued to optimize quarantine access procedures for agricultural products and other key products. Various agricultural products, such as fresh durians from Vietnam, longans from Cambodia, and passion fruits from Laos, have gained new quarantine access in China. In 2022, the total value of agricultural products China imported from ASEAN rose 21.3% to 246.86 billion yuan, accounting for 15.7% of China's total imports of agricultural products in the same period, 1.4 percentage points higher than the previous year.

Economic and trade relations between China and ASEAN have a solid foundation and great potential for development. Looking forward, the two sides will enjoy broad areas of cooperation, integrated development strategies and smooth trade exchanges. Driven by the continuous improvement of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, China-ASEAN trade is expected to achieve new and greater development. Thank you.