FRAMEW ORK AGREEMENT ON COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION BETW EEN THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA AND THE ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH EAST ASIAN NATIONS PREAMBLE WE, the Heads of Government/State of the People’s Republic of China (“China”), and 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 ”): 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 a China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (“China-ASEAN 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 China and ASEAN (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 mar...
