On 16 May 2016, China-Brunei Trade and Investment Cooperation Forum hosted by the Brunei Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the ASEAN-China Centre (ACC) was held in Bandar Seri Begawan. Tuan Adi Shamsul Sabli, Permanent Secretary of Prime Minister’s Office, and ACC Secretary-General H. E. Mme. Yang Xiuping attended the Forum and delivered a speech. About 50 people including H. E. Mme. Yang Jian, Chinese Ambassador to Brunei, officials from China and Brunei as well as representatives from business community participated at the event.
Tuan Adi Shamsul Sabli extended his warm welcome to Chinese enterprises for their visit to Brunei for trade and investment mission and business matching and hoped that the two countries could further deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. He noted that Brunei and China were good neighbours and bilateral ties progressed smoothly. Trade and investment cooperation was pushed forward by the two sides proactively under the framework of ASEAN. With continuously rapid development of Chinese economy and the ongoing construction of ASEAN Community, enhanced bilateral cooperation was provided with favorable opportunity. Brunei committed itself to realizing economic diversification and wished to seek greater support and assistance from the Chinese side in developing halal food processing, agriculture, technology, and fishery as priorities. Brunei would take steps such as online registration, setting up steering committee and supporting centre for enterprises to further improve business environment and provide more convenience for foreign investors. It expected for more Chinese enterprises to come to invest and set up business in Brunei so that the two sides would constantly pushing forward development of mutually beneficial cooperation.
Secretary-General Yang Xiuping expressed her appreciation to the Brunei Government for their great support and help in organizing the event and spoke highly of the active progress of ASEAN-China and Brunei-China relations. She said that 2016 marked the 25th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations which coincided with the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Brunei and China. China’s Belt and Road Initiative had much in common with Brunei Vision 2035. The two sides should further explore potential in enhancing cooperation in areas such as agriculture, fishery, energy, production capacity, infrastructure and tourism, promote the early launch of Guangxi-Brunei Economic Corridor construction and achieve results as soon as possible, and push the bilateral ties to a more deeper and concrete way.
Secretary-General Yang briefed on the work and achievements of ACC in promoting ASEAN-China trade and investment cooperation. She said that ACC would like to work jointly with all walks of life in ASEAN and to remain the promoter of ASEAN-China good neighborliness and mutual trust, the facilitator of bilateral practical cooperation and friendship, and making greater contributions to ASEAN-China common development and prosperity.
