中韩启动自贸区谈判 朴泰镐访问对外经贸大学并演讲

（《中国日报》2012年5月3日13版 ）

2012年5月2日下午，韩国外交通商部通商交涉本部长朴泰镐访问对外经济贸易大学并为师生作了题为“韩中自由贸易协定与韩中经济合作的未来”的演讲。

当日上午，中国商务部部长陈德铭和韩国外交通商部通商交涉本部长朴泰镐进行了工作会谈并宣布：正式启动中韩自贸区谈判。朴泰镐在演讲中表示，中国是发展潜力巨大的经济体，韩国政府期待与中国早日达成自由贸易协定，共同参与东北亚及东亚的经济一体化和合作事务，加强在G20体制及APEC框架下的合作，促进WTO多哈回合谈判，加强多边贸易体制。

今年是中韩建交20周年，20年来，中韩贸易量以平均每年23%的速度递增，目前中国是韩国第一大贸易伙伴，韩国是中国第三大贸易伙伴。

全文报道如下：

FTA negotiations launched

China and South Korea jointly announced the start of bilateral free trade agreement negotiations on Wednesday, aiming to expand trade in goods and services and investment cooperation.

"The first round of negotiations will take place later this month ... and I hope the negotiations can be finished within two years," Chinese Minister of Commerce Chen Deming told a news briefing in Beijing.

After seven years of preparation, the launch of the FTA negotiations is a turning point to take bilateral cooperation to a higher level.

"We hope the accord will also serve as a starting point for the economic integration of East Asia," said South Korean Trade Minister Bark Tae-ho.

Chen also said the two countries complement each other in many ways and that offers broad prospects for cooperation.

He said the start of the FTA negotiations will not only benefit people in both countries but also advance the economic integration of East Asia amid rising protectionism and a slow global economic recovery.

"China's fast economic development and the efforts to expand domestic consumption, as well as South Korea's high dependence on trade for GDP growth are the main reasons for South Korea to seek a free trade pact with China," said Wang Ling, chair of the University Council of the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.

The two countries will first establish the framework for talks, which will form the basis for negotiations covering goods, services, investment and other areas.

The level of liberalization for trade in goods will go beyond each country's commitment in the World Trade Organization, according to a joint ministerial statement on the launch of China-South Korea FTA negotiations.

The negotiations won't always go smoothly because of sensitive areas for each country, Wang said.

Bark said both countries have sensitive areas, which are agriculture and seafood for South Korea and the petrochemical, electronic and machinery industries for China, so negotiations will move forward in phases and special consideration will be given to these areas.

"We will 'isolate' the sensitive areas from the negotiations," he said.

China has become the biggest trade partner of South Korea and South Korea is China's third-largest trade partner.

Bilateral trade reached $245.6 billion in 2011, up 18.6 percent from the previous year. The two nations aim to expand bilateral trade to $300 billion by 2015.

South Korea has already signed FTAs with eight counterparties including the European Union, the United States and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

China's investment in South Korea is quite small and "the South Korea-China FTA will increase investments from China.

"Chinese companies can also tap the markets of the EU and the US through South Korea's FTAs with these two economies," Bark said.

South Korea, which is China's fourth-largest source of foreign direct investment, added $4.88 billion to its investments in China in 2011, lifting the cumulative figure to $51.16 billion.

China's investment in South Korea totaled $3.74 billion after an expansion of $650 million in 2011, mainly in services areas, according to Bark.

In addition to the bilateral FTA, the two countries are working with Japan on a three-way FTA.

"We reached a common conclusion that the bilateral pact will not conflict with the three-way accord but will be the foundation and driving force for it. The summit of leaders from the three countries, to be held in Beijing from May 13 to 14, will see positive signals for the arrangement of the trilateral FTA," Chen said during the news briefing.

Bark added that the three parties will "reach agreement in principle for advancing the China-Japan-South Korea FTA during the summit".

（记者 李加宝 朱兴鑫）

附：原文报道链接地址

http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2012-05/03/content_15195666.htm

http://www.asianewsphoto.com/chn/(S(l4u2kjvxuenyjvfjzuvwd5i5))/Web_CHN/View_GroupPhoto.aspx?SysId=485805