Xi'an forum focuses on cross-border cooperation on Belt and Road Initiative

Aforum on cross-border customs cooperation in the context of the Belt and Road Initiative began in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, on Wednesday and will close on Thursday.

Customs representatives from some 70 countries and regions, eight international and regional organizations and Chinese central government departments as well as business circles at home and abroad are attending the two-day event.

The forum, hosted by the General Administration of Customs, will be highlighting interconnectivity and win-win outcomes.

The representatives will discuss measures to strengthen cross-border customs cooperation, enhance trade facilitation and boost regional development at three subforums during the event.

President Xi Jinping put forward the initiatives of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road during his visits to Central Asia and Southeast Asia in September and October of 2013. The initiatives have since attracted attention from around the world.

In March, several central government departments, including the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce, issued a document titled "Vision and Actions on Jointly Building the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road", presenting an action plan.

The initiative aims to promote the connectivity of Asian, European and African continents and their adjacent seas; establish and strengthen partnerships among countries along the Belt and Road; set up all-dimensional, multitiered and composite connectivity networks; and realize diversified, independent, balanced and sustainable development in these countries, the document said.

Customs authorities in the countries along the Belt and Road should strengthen cooperation in such aspects as information sharing; mutual recognition of regulations and assistance in legal enforcement; improve infrastructure of border ports; and reduce the costs of custom clearance, the document states.

They should also increase cooperation in supply chain safety and convenience, improve the coordination of cross-border supervision, promote mutual recognition of authorized economic operators, and enhance trade liberalization and facilitation.

Customs authorities around the world have agreed to boost interconnectivity, enhance trade facilitation and promote trade development.

The World Customs Organization made "Coordinated Border Management - An Inclusive Approach for Connecting Stakeholders" the theme for this year's International Customs Day, which was on Jan 26.

"It behooves all border agencies to work together for the common good despite varying regulatory mandates. With this in mind, the WCO and customs administrations have long supported the notion of coordinated border management, which aims to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the multiple public service functions undertaken at borders," said WCO Secretary-General Kunio Mikuriya.

The Chinese customs authorities have attached great importance to cooperation and exchanges with counterparts in the countries along the Belt and Road to help promote regional economic development.

To better implement the Belt and Road Initiative, the administration of customs set up a group headed by Director Yu Guangzhou and put forward 16 measures to strengthen customs cooperation between China and concerned countries.

The Belt and Road Initiative conforms to the development demands and common interests of China and other countries along the Belt and Road, according to the action plan.

The platform will significantly improve the quality of growth of the regional economies and inject new vigor into the global economic recovery and prosperity, Yu said.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 05/27/2015 page7)