Simon Merrifield, the Australian Ambassador to the Association of South-east Asian Nations (ASEAN), recently gave an interview at the 11th CAEXPO Secretariat.

Q: What kinds of achievements has Australia had in China-ASEAN cooperation?

Simon Merrifield: China and ASEAN have an important trading partnership with Australia, and the degree of tripartite economic cooperation and regional integration is becoming increasingly higher. The favorable conditions created by the Chinese and Australian governments are promoting bilateral trade development and enabling businesses of the two countries to carry out a series of economic and trade activities more easily; hence the importance of the Australian negotiations to participate in China-ASEAN can be interpreted as the negotiation of a comprehensive regional economic partnership. If the negotiation succeeds, the world's largest free trade zone will be realized so as to make great contributions to the economic prosperity of China, Australia and ASEAN countries.

Q: What kind of cooperation plans will next be implemented between Australia, China and ASEAN?

Simon Merrifield: In the future, Australia, China and ASEAN will enjoy better relationships and a greater potential for cooperation. China and ASEAN boast broad commercial communities; and actually, the three parts are greatly associated in all their trilateral economic activities.

Q: China-ASEAN Expo is being held in Guangxi. What kind of roles will Guangxi province play in promoting China-Australia economic and trade exchanges?

Simon Merrifield: Guangxi?plays an important role in promoting regional economic integration. As the national export portal, Guangxi is staging the 11th China-ASEAN Expo and is playing a significant role as a bridge to mutual development. Being invited by the Organization Committee of the China-ASEAN Expo, as the first special guest country, we feel very privileged to participate in the event.

Q: The theme of the 11th China-ASEAN Expo is the Maritime Silk Road in the 21st century with a series of additional interchange activities. We are curious about which activities attracted the interest from your Australian viewpoint?

Simon Merrifield: Today is the first day of the 11th China-ASEAN Expo. The really interesting part of the show is yet to come. This year’s theme is very attractive; it concerns the final goal of ASEAN countries. We express thanks to China’s government for the theme and are in eager anticipation about the early achievement of the “Maritime Silk Road”.

Q: This is your first visit to China-ASEAN Expo. Is there any difference between what you expected from the Expo and reality?

Simon Merrifield: For this activity, the China-ASEAN Expo Secretariat has made tremendous efforts. As for me, state leaders, trade ministers and people in various fields from all the countries are gathering here for the exhibition. They come together to interact with each other, discuss the theme – the Maritime Silk Road in the 21st century – and then lay a good foundation for conference communications in the future.

Edited by Brian Salter