PREAMBLE
WE, the Heads of Government/State of Brunei Darussalam, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Indonesia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (“Lao PDR”), Malaysia, the Union of Myanmar, the Republic of the Philippines, the Republic of Singapore, the Kingdom of Thailand and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, Member States of the Association of South East Asian Nations (collectively, “ASEAN” or “ASEAN Member States”, or individually, “ASEAN Member State”), and the People’s Republic of China (“China”):
Recalling our decision made at the ASEAN-China Summit held on 6 November 2001 in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam, regarding a Framework on Economic Co-operation and to establish an ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (“ASEAN-China FTA”) within ten years with special and differential treatment and flexibility for the newer ASEAN Member States of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam (“the newer ASEAN Member States”) and with provision for an early harvest in which the list of products and services will be determined by mutual consultation;
Desiring to adopt a Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Co-operation (“this Agreement”) between ASEAN and China (collectively, “the Parties”, or individually referring to an ASEAN Member State or to China as a “Party”) that is forward-looking in order to forge closer economic relations in the 21st century;
Desiring to minimise barriers and deepen economic linkages between the Parties; lower costs; increase intra-regional trade and investment; increase economic efficiency; create a larger market with greater opportunities and larger economies of scale for the businesses of the Parties; and enhance the attractiveness of the Parties to capital and talent;
Being confident that the establishment of an ASEAN-China FTA will create a partnership between the Parties, and provide an important mechanism for strengthening co-operation and supporting economic stability in East Asia;
Recognising the important role and contribution of the business sector in enhancing trade and investment between the Parties and the need to further promote and facilitate their co-operation and utilisation of greater business opportunities provided by the ASEAN-China FTA;
Recognising the different stages of economic development among ASEAN Member States and the need for flexibility, in particular the need to facilitate the increasing participation of the newer ASEAN Member States in the ASEAN-China economic co-operation and the expansion of their exports, including, inter alia, through the strengthening of their domestic capacity, efficiency and competitiveness;
Reaffirming the rights, obligations and undertakings of the respective parties under the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and other multilateral, regional and bilateral agreements and arrangements;
Recognising the catalytic role that regional trade arrangements can contribute towards accelerating regional and global liberalisation and as building blocks in the framework of the multilateral trading system;
Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1
Objectives
The objectives of this Agreement are to:
ARTICLE 2 Measures For Comprehensive Economic Co-operation The Parties agree to negotiate expeditiously in order to establish an ASEAN-China FTA within 10 years, and to strengthen and enhance economic co-operation through the following:
PART 1 AR TICLE 3 Trade In Goods
i. in the case of ASEAN Member States (which are WTO members as of 1 July 2003) and China, refer to their respective applied rates as of 1 July 2003; and
ii. in the case of ASEAN Member States (which are non-WTO members as of 1 July 2003), refer to the rates as applied to China as of 1 July 2003;
c. “non-tariff measures” shall include non-tariff barriers.
i. have their respective applied MFN tariff rates gradually reduced or eliminated in accordance with specified schedules and rates (to be mutually agreed by the Parties) over a period from 1 January 2005 to 2010 for ASEAN 6 and China, and in the case of the newer ASEAN Member States, the period shall be from 1 January 2005 to 2015 with higher starting tariff rates and different staging; and
ii. in respect of those tariffs which have been reduced but have not been eliminated under paragraph 4(a)(i) above, they shall be progressively eliminated within timeframes to be mutually agreed between the Parties.
i. have their respective applied MFN tariff rates reduced in accordance with the mutually agreed end rates and end dates; and
ii. where applicable, have their respective applied MFN tariff rates progressively eliminated within timeframes to be mutually agreed between the parties
ARTICLE 4 Trade In Services With a view to expediting the expansion of trade in services, the Parties agree to enter into negotiations to progressively liberalise trade in services with substantial sectoral coverage. Such negotiations shall be directed to:
ARTICLE 5 Investment To promote investments and to create a liberal, facilitative, transparent and competitive investment regime, the Parties agree to:
ARTICLE 6 Early Harvest
3. The product coverage, tariff reduction and elimination, implementation timeframes, rules of origin, trade remedies and emergency measures applicable to the Early Harvest Programme shall be as follows:
PART 2 ARTICLE 7 Other Areas Of Economic Co-operation
PART 3 ARTICLE 8 Timeframes
ARTICLE 9 Most-Favoured Nation Treatment China shall accord Most-Favoured Nation (MFN) Treatment consistent with WTO rules and disciplines to all the non-WTO ASEAN Member States upon the date of signature of this Agreement. ARTICLE 10 General Exceptions Subject to the requirement that such measures are not applied in a manner which would constitute a means of arbitrary or unjustifiable discrimination between or among the Parties where the same conditions prevail, or a disguised restriction on trade within the ASEAN-China FTA, nothing in this Agreement shall prevent any Party from taking and adopting measures for the protection of its national security or the protection of articles of artistic, historic and archaeological value, or such other measures which it deems necessary for the protection of public morals, or for the protection of human, animal or plant life and health. ARTICLE 11 Dispute Settlement Mechanism
ARTICLE 12 Institutional Arrangements For The Negotiations
ARTICLE 13 Miscellaneous Provisions
ARTICLE 14 Amendments The provisions of this Agreement may be modified through amendments mutually agreed upon in writing by the Parties. ARTICLE 15 For the ASEAN Member States, this Agreement shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of ASEAN, who shall promptly furnish a certified copy thereof, to each ASEAN Member State. ARTICLE 16 Entry Into Force
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, WE have signed this Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Co-operation between the Association of South East Asian Nations and the People’s Republic of China. DONE at Phnom Penh, this 4th day of November, 2002 in duplicate copies in the English Language.
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Annexes to the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Co-Operation Between ASEAN and the People’s Republic of China, Phnom Penh, 4 November 2002 | |||||||||||||||
Protocol to Ammend ACFTA Framework Agreement 1
Parties’ Schedules of Specific Commitments for ASEAN China Agreement on Trade in Services |