KUALA LUMPUR, March 14 (Bernama) -- The China- ASEAN Business Association (CABA), jointly with Asia Pacific Investment Bank Ltd (Registration No. LL11654) (licensed Labuan investment bank) (APIB), will be holding a webinar titled “China- ASEAN in RCEP Implementation: Are Business Ready for RCEP?” on 18th March 2022 (Friday).

The webinar will be focusing on the Regional Economic Comprehensive Partnership (RCEP) to better inform the business communities on how to utilize the RCEP for their businesses, especially in the post-Covid era.

This is in line with the upcoming ratification of the RCEP by the Malaysian government on the same day. The free trade agreement is expected to tie the economy with fellow signatories, especially China as it is currently the world’s second-largest economy slated to replace the United States as the largest economy in the near future.

While opportunities are expected to increase when the agreement comes into force, it will be up to the domestic players and government to maximize the benefits of the largest free trade agreement in bolstering the Malaysian economy and the livelihood of its people.

The webinar will touch on several key aspects, such as the implication and readiness of China and ASEAN in RCEP and exploring what are the potential losses in our markets if we are not fully prepared. It will also share how stakeholders, like governments and associations, can cooperate to raise awareness on the benefits of RCEP.

The two-hour event will be moderated by Datuk Seri Iqbal, Deputy President of CABA, with the opening remark to be delivered by Tan Sri Lim Gait Tong, President of CABA, and it will also include a special remark by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry’s (MITI) Deputy Minister, YB Senator Datuk Lim Ban Hong. Additionally, a representative from the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Malaysia will also be present.

“This is an important event as, in a region as diverse as ASEAN, one of the major concerns would be the unequal developments that might take place when the RCEP comes into force despite experts projecting a positive growth for the entire region of 5.2% in 2022,” said Datuk Seri Iqbal.

Mr. Liu Xuming, Chairman of APIB, agreed with this view, adding that “The high utilization rate of the RCEP among businesses equally in the region will help effectively meet market opportunities and boost regional growth at the same time.”

Invited speakers are YM Raja Badrulnizam Raja Kamalzaman, Director of the ASEAN & Oceania Section in Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE); Dr. Lai Heow Gran, President of Investment Banking Division I in APIB; Dr. Lurong Chen, Senior Economist of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA); and Ms. Alice Zhang, Consultant of the World Bank.

Finally, participants can be assured that their comments and suggestions given during the open discussion session will be compiled and submitted to the respective government agencies in China and ASEAN for further consideration.

The webinar will be held on March 18, 2022 (Friday), from 10.00am – 12.00pm (MYT), through Zoom and will be conducted in English. It is free and open to all. Interested individuals can register their participation at https://bit.ly/APIBWebinarCABAc and will receive the access link for the webinar via email. For further information, please contact info@apdib.com.
 
Source: Asia Pacific Investment Bank Ltd

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Name: Tang Quin Ni
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Tel: 019-2167686

--BERNAMA