RCEP促泰中合作扩面升级 ——专访泰国驻华大使阿塔育·习萨目（Arthayudh Srisamoot）

2020年11月15日，15个成员国正式签订《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》（RCEP）。2021年3月8日，中国正式核准《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》(RCEP)。

作为世界上最大的自由贸易区对区域发展将作出哪些贡献？泰国将如何推动这一协定尽快落实，RCEP给泰国与中国的经贸投资合作带来哪些机遇？

近日，泰国驻华大使阿塔育·习萨目（Arthayudh Srisamoot）就上述问题接受本刊采访。

促进区域内及全球产业链价值链融合

《中国投资》：《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》（RCEP）于2013年启动，并于2020年签订。迄今已有7年。当前在新冠肺炎疫情对全球经济的影响以及单边主义和贸易保护主义盛行的背景下，您如何看待该协议的意义？

阿塔育·习萨目：去年11月，签订《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》（以下简称RCEP协定）是一个里程碑事件，标志着囊括22亿人口与30%全球经济体量的世界最大自贸协定正式起航。各方的强大决心和集体努力功不可没，泰国也以2019年东盟轮值主席国的身份为多年谈判划上圆满句号做出了贡献。诚然，RCEP协定的签订是区域合作的重要里程碑，但就推进区域经济一体化而言，各国任重道远。第四次区域全面经济伙伴关系协定（RCEP）领导人会议上，各方决定加快批准程序，使RCEP协定早日生效。

RCEP协定生效后，RCEP自贸区可以吸引更多域外资金，从而缓解新冠肺炎疫情对区域经济的影响，特别是考虑到新冠肺炎疫情在全球蔓延仍未停息，这一协定更应加快落实。目前全球经济面临严重困境，自贸区需顶住压力，坚持贸易投资自由化便利化原则，积极开放市场，稳定供应链，保持国家间互联互通，保证必需品自由流动。各方应加大力度提高全球供应链在冲击面前的韧性和可持续性。

RCEP协定旨在创建一种全面的、现代的、高质量、互利互惠的经贸合作关系，一方面促进区域贸易和投资增长，另一方面为全球经济增长注入强劲动力。RCEP协定生效后，区域及全球经济一体化有望朝着更加纵深和全面的方向发展。

现阶段，各国正努力重启经济增长引擎，加快疫情后经济复苏，减缓新冠肺炎疫情对各国经济民生的沉重打击。RCEP自贸区将为区域内企业和人口带来更多的市场和就业机遇，促进区域内及全球产业链价值链融合。

《中国投资》：RCEP协议对区域经济发展有哪些推动作用？这将对全球经济贸易规则和格局产生什么重要影响？

阿塔育·习萨目：RCEP协定的签订预示着未来自贸区将在电子商务、产品和卫生标准制定上实现进一步的突破。生效后，RCEP协定能为企业创造更多机遇，原材料货源结构将会更加多元，投资机会也会接踵而至。

《区域全面经济伙伴关系协定》是具有历史性意义的贸易协定，它在东盟与自贸区其他五个对话伙伴国（包括中国）分别签订的“10+1”自贸协定的基础上进一步扩大了范围。RCEP协定共涵盖20个章节，具体条款涉及货物贸易、服务贸易和投资，新增知识产权、电子商务、竞争、中小企业、经济技术合作和政府采购等方面的内容。

RCEP协定或取消或放宽了服务业及非服务业投资的限制性措施，有助于提高透明度，降低投资者在RCEP成员国设立公司的时间成本。RCEP协定采用原产地累积规则，改善了外贸及海关方面的法律法规，加强了知识产权保护，提高了成员国企业注册便捷度，这些举措均可激发企业创新。

《中国投资》：RCEP成员国合作的优势是什么？作为世界上最大的自由贸易区，未来将面临哪些挑战？如何应对？

阿塔育·习萨目：RCEP是目前全球规模最大的自贸区。RCEP将加快亚太地区经济一体化进程，并深刻影响到亚洲经济的中长期发展。

RCEP协定将大幅提高区域内贸易和投资的自由化水平，并巩固区域市场。随着成员国间经济联系越来越紧密，RCEP的签订意味着未来机遇和挑战将会并至。

RCEP的诞生充分表明，东盟有能力召集不同发展阶段的国家，协商出一个极具雄心壮志的贸易协定，RCEP自贸区的成立无疑将提高东盟的国际话语权。RCEP协定在原有“东盟10国+1”自贸协定的基础上增添了知识产权、电子商务、竞争、中小企业、经济技术合作和政府采购等方面的新内容。RCEP协定将为出口创造更多机会，为原材料采购提供更多渠道，这有利于提高区域内贸易和投资水平。

东盟欢迎贸易和投资伙伴国分享RCEP协定带来的宝贵机遇。贸易和投资的市场准入条件改善后，特别是减免关税、简化海关程序和原产地规则、加强监管透明度等举措实施后，企业和投资者势必会从中获益。RCEP协定将进一步改善营商环境，为成员国降低营商成本。

另外，RCEP协定的重点之一是促进公平竞争，推动知识产权、电子商务、政府采购、争端调解等领域的高水平规章制度立法。这意味着投资商将在更加公平的竞争环境中开展商业活动。这是成员国从RCEP这种现代的、高质量自贸协定获益的另一层面。

RCEP协定带来的新机遇主要集中在出口、制造和电子商务领域。区域内经营汽车零部件和食品加工的制造型企业可以通过向RCEP市场供应原材料、配件、半成品和制成品，深化区域内价值链供应链一体化。随着产业一体化程度的加深，中小企业将有更多机会加入区域及全球价值链。

贸易数字化正在如火如荼地进行中，RCEP协议有望推动成员国电子商务产业的发展，并在全球范围内进行普及。RCEP协议也将便利服务提供商（包括电子商务）的跨境流动和市场准入。

RCEP也会带来许多挑战。首先，成员国需加快审批程序，使协定尽快生效。其次，每个RCEP成员国（包括泰国在内）都需要加强规章制度建设，加快使RCEP进入高效实施轨道。第三，服务业等行业或将迎来更加激烈的竞争，因此，成员国需制定相关扶持政策，帮助企业提高市场竞争力、适应新环境。

多措施助企业提高市场竞争力 适应新变化

《中国投资》：RCEP的签订将对中国和泰国的经济发展产生哪些积极影响？为了促进协议的执行，泰国采取了哪些政策措施？

阿塔育·习萨目：RCEP协定能够大幅提高外商直接投资（FDI）。RCEP自贸区是重要的外资“洼地”，占有全球16%的FDI存量和逾24%的FDI流量。截至去年年初，地区FDI流入量呈逐年上升趋势；去年，受新冠肺炎疫情冲击，FDI有所下滑，RCEP协定的签订有望实现FDI回弹。

RCEP协定的签订对于投资商而言是重大利好。RCEP自贸区占全球经济体量的30%，其设立有助于巩固现有市场。协定中的具体条款生效后将为成员国带来丰富的贸易与投资机遇。RCEP协定为投资商进入成员国市场投资兴业和进行企业扩张放宽了准入限制。在RCEP框架下，近92%的商品将享受零关税待遇，非关税壁垒也会减少，成员国间市场准入将会更加便利。

RCEP协定的另一显著优势是采纳了原产地累积原则，这意味着投资商仅需在RCEP的一个缔约方国家取得原产地证书，即可视为区域内原产，如此便绕开了在区域内每个国家申请特定原产地证书的繁琐程序。此外，协定里精简海关程序和提高贸易便利化的条款则可提升清关效率，激励投资商从多个缔约方国家采购原材料，进而帮助投资商最大限度降低成本，加强供应链韧性，同时提高投资活动的灵活性。

泰国的外商直接投资流入量很大程度来源于RCEP成员国，RCEP协定的签订将吸引更多外资进入泰国。泰国地理上位于东盟国家的中心，独具优势的战略地理位置使泰国成为投资兴业的理想之所。中国拥有世界一流的交通基础设施，从中国到泰国可谓是须臾间便可抵达，这意味着中泰两国开展跨境贸易投资十分便利。2020年，中国是泰国第二大外资来源国，RCEP协定生效后，缔约方国家间贸易和投资限制将会进一步减少，未来泰国将会吸引更多投资。取消关税、减少非关税壁垒等主张则会提高中泰供应链的融合度，这一点在目前中美贸易摩擦的大背景下格外重要。

泰政府倡导企业和投资商仔细研读RCEP协定，以便充分利用好协定带来的便利。泰政府组织了一系列活动帮助企业、利益攸关方和公众解读协定内容和政策动向。泰商务部正着手启动一项机制，利用多种手段（例如募资）帮助企业加强市场竞争力，适应新变化。

拓宽两国互利共赢合作领域

《中国投资》：您如何看待RCEP的发展前景？在RCEP框架下，两国之间的合作前景如何？

阿塔育·习萨目：RCEP协定生效后，区域内贸易和投资体量和水平将实现进一步提升，并吸引到更多外企开展投资。这将为区域经济复苏注入强劲动力，同时使本地企业享受到协定带来的红利。

泰国如中国一样，重视多边主义在促进全球经济增长方面所起到的作用。RCEP协定表明泰国坚决维护开放、包容、现代、互惠和以规则为基础的多边贸易体系。RCEP协定在深化拓宽现有经贸合作的同时，未来还将开辟更多合作领域，实现双方互利共赢。从这一角度看，泰中两国应继续保持密切合作，并同其他RCEP参与国一道，高举多边主义旗帜，为地区创造开放、透明、公平、稳定的经济增长环境。

编辑 | 张   梅

 翻译｜齐晓彤

设计 | 大   米

Fifteen
member states signed the RCEP on November 15th, 2020. China ratified
the RCEP on March 8th, 2021. How will the world’s largest Free Trade
Area contribute to regional development? What role will Thailand play in
seeing that the agreement is implemented as soon as possible? What
opportunities will the RCEP bring to the economic and trade cooperation
between Thailand and China?
Recently, H.E. Arthayudh Srisamoot, the
Ambassador of Thailand to China, shared his views with China Investment
on these matters.

China Investment: The
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was launched in 2013
and signed in 2020. Seven years have past since its inception. What is
your opinion on the significance of this agreement against the backdrop
of COVID-19 wreaking havoc on the global economy and rising
unilateralism and trade protectionism?

Arthayudh Srisamoot:
The signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
Agreement last November marked an important milestone as RCEP became the
world’s largest inter-regional Free Trade Agreement, covering more than
2.2 billion people and accounting for more than 30 per cent of the
global GDP. The signing in 2020 was a result of the strong commitment
and collective efforts from all parties involved, including Thailand’s
efforts as Chairman of ASEAN in 2019 to conclude the substantive
negotiations during our chairmanship. It is indeed a great milestone for
regional cooperation, but also there is still a lot to be done. The 4th
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Summit agreed to
expedite ratification process for the early implementation of the RCEP
Agreement. 

With
RCEP in force, it could attract more investments from outside the
region especially against the backdrop of global pandemic, hence help
reducing the impact of COVID-19 to the economies in the region. During
this difficult time for the global economy, we need to keep our markets
open for trade and investment as well as maintain the supply chain, and
to ensure connectivity and the unimpeded flow of essential goods.
Efforts must be made to make global supply chains more sustainable,
resilient and less vulnerable to shocks. 

The
RCEP Agreement aims to establish a modern, comprehensive, high-quality,
and mutually beneficial economic partnership that will facilitate the
expansion of regional trade and investment and contribute to global
economic growth and development. This agreement will thus deepen and
broaden economic integration in our region and beyond. 

As
we seek to reinvigorate growth and accelerate economic recovery from
COVID-19 that adversely affected our economies and our people’s
livelihood and well-being, RCEP will bring about more market and
employment opportunities to our businesses and people as well as
strengthen the regional value chain in the region and beyond.

China Investment: What
role will the RCEP play in turbocharging regional economic development?
What kind of influence will it exert on the rules and landscape of
global trade and economy?

Arthayudh Srisamoot: RCEP
lays a solid foundation as well as provide more opportunities for
future development in various areas, such as standards for e-commerce,
products, and hygiene. Upon it becoming into force, RCEP could help
increase opportunities for businesses, such as more diversity for
sources of raw materials, as well as help boosting investments. 

One
of the highlights of this historic trade deal the RCEP Agreement
improves on the coverage of the existing ASEAN plus one FTAs, which
ASEAN has with all five dialogue partners participating in RCEP,
including China. Overall, the RCEP Agreement comprises of 20 chapters
with specific provisions covering trade in goods, trade in services, and
investment, as well as areas that were not previously covered in the
ASEAN plus one FTAs, such as intellectual property, electronic commerce,
competition, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), economic and
technical cooperation and government procurement.

With
regards to rules and regulations, RCEP relaxes or cancels some rules
and measures that obstruct the investment in service and non-service
sectors. Such improvements help increase transparency and allow
investors to start business in RCEP member countries within shorter
period of time.  RCEP also reduce the duplication in rules and origin,
improve relevant rules, regulations, measures and standards in customs
and trade, as well as strengthen IP protection and facilitate
registration processes in member countries which will boost the
development and application of innovation business operations.

Furthermore,
RCEP Agreement will help maximize the potential of connectivity
initiatives in the region, including China’s Belt and Road Initiative in
strengthening regional supply chain in the post-pandemic recovery.

⬆
On May 20, 2020, Chinese market boosts harvest of Thai fruit farmers:
locals transport newly-picked durians. (Photo Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak) 

China Investment: What
are the advantages of the cooperation among RCEP member states? Being
the world’s largest Free Trade Area, what are the possible challenges
the RCEP may encounter in the future? And how to respond?

Arthayudh Srisamoot: RCEP,
now the world’s largest trading bloc, will have profound impact on the
Asian economies in the medium to long term by helping accelerate the
regional economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region. 

The
RCEP significantly liberalizes trade and investment in the region as
well as consolidates the market. Since the member countries’ economies
becoming more connected, it naturally brings both opportunities and
challenges.

For
instance, ASEAN has demonstrated its ability to bring together an
ambitious trade deal involving countries at different stages of
development. As a result, the success of RCEP’s formation will raise
ASEAN’s voice on the global stage. The RCEP Agreement improves on the
coverage of the existing ASEAN plus one FTAs and includes areas that
were not previously covered in the ASEAN plus one FTAs, such as
intellectual property, electronic commerce, competition, small and
medium enterprises (SMEs), economic and technical cooperation and
government procurement. The RCEP Agreement provides more opportunities
for exports and choices for source of raw material. This will help
enhancing trade and investment in the region.

ASEAN’s
key trading and investment partners will benefit from greater
opportunities created by RCEP. Companies and investors will gain from an
improved market access for both trade and investment, in particular
through the elimination of tariffs, more simplified customs procedure
and rules of origin, and enhanced regulatory transparency. It will also
create an enabling investment environment and ease the process of doing
business in the RCEP countries. 

Moreover,
they will benefit from this modern and high-quality Agreement that
strives to boost fair competition and high standards for rules and
regulation such as intellectual property, e-commerce, government
procurement, and dispute settlement. This will create a level playing
field among investors.

For
example, our businesses in exporting, manufacturing sectors and
e-commerce, as well as SMEs are among key sectors that can leverage on
the RCEP. Local companies in manufacturing sectors, such as auto-parts
and food processing, can strengthen the integration in the regional
value and supple chain with supply of raw materials, components,
semi-finished and finished goods in the RCEP market. With industrial
integration, small and medium enterprises will have greater
opportunities to be engaged in global and regional value chain.

Also,
with the increasing digitalization of trade, the RCEP Agreement aims to
promote e-commerce among RCEP countries and wider use of e-commerce
globally. Service providers, including e-commerce, will also be able to
enjoy greater market access in terms of cross-border supply.

Regarding
the challenges, first and foremost, we need to expedite the
ratification process and bring RCEP into force as soon as possible. 
Secondly, each country including Thailand will need to adjust and
improve rules and regulation in order to bring RCEP into force and
implement efficiently. Thirdly, some businesses and sectors may face
higher competition, such as service sector, therefore, we are setting up
a mechanism to support businesses in order to adapt and strengthen
competitiveness.

China Investment: How will the signing
of the RCEP contribute to the economic development of China and
Thailand? What measures will Thailand take to facilitate the
implementation of this agreement？

Arthayudh Srisamoot: RCEP
could significantly boost foreign direct investment (FDI) in the
region. The RCEP is an important FDI destination. It accounts for 16 per
cent of global FDI stock, more than 24 per cent of flows and has shown a
consistent upward trend until last year. Although the COVID-19 pandemic
leads to a drop in FDI in the region, but signing agreement at this
time look to lead the FDI recovery. 

For
investors, the RCEP will consolidate existing market and provisions in
the agreement will create prosperous trade and investment opportunities
within member countries which covering around 30 percent of the global
GDP. The RCEP eases the process required of investors entering,
expanding, or operating in RCEP countries. Under RCEP, tariffs on around
92 per cent of goods will be eliminated and non-tariff barriers will be
reduced. This will allow member nations to gain preferential market
access with each other. 

Another
significant advantage of RCEP is that the rules of origin will be
unified for the entire bloc. This will mean that investors will only
require one certificate of origin for trading in the region and can
bypass the complicated processes of applying for the specific rule of
origin in each country. Moreover, simplified customs procedures and
enhanced trade facilitation provisions will allow efficient procedures
and prompt clearance of goods. These provisions will help investors to
minimize costs, have more flexibility and have stronger supply chains as
the RCEP will allow entrepreneurs to obtain raw materials from various
sources among RCEP countries.

Thailand’s
direct investment relies on the RCEP members. The signing of RCEP will
attract more foreign investment into Thailand. Thailand's strategic
location in the heart of ASEAN is ideal location for businesses and
business investors.

Additionally,
China is also easily reachable from Thailand by virtue of its
world-class transport infrastructure, which further provides great
opportunities for cross-border trade and investment. In 2020, Chinese
investment is ranked the second for Thailand’s FDI and it is expected
that the RCEP agreement which will eliminate constraints of trade and
investment between countries will boost more investment in the future.
Removal of tariffs and reducing non-tariff barriers will facilitate the
integration of China-Thailand into the same supply chains which may be
particularly important at a time of the U.S.-China trade dispute. 

Thai
government encourages companies and investors to study the details of
the RCEP Agreement in order to maximize its benefits therefrom.  We have
organized activities to provide businesses and relevant parties as well
as the public to understand the content and what changes RCEP may
bring. Thailand’s Ministry of Commerce is in the process of setting a
mechanism, such as funding, to support businesses in order to adapt and
strengthen their competitiveness.

China Investment: What is your opinion on the development prospects of the RCEP? And on the prospects of cooperation between the two countries？

Arthayudh Srisamoot: The
RCEP, once its Agreement entering into force, will help enhance
intra-regional trade and investment as well as attracting investment
from foreign companies, which will catalyze the region’s economic
recovery and enable our businesses to reap the benefits of the
Agreement.

Like
China, Thailand values the multilateralism that helps create global
economic growth and prosperity. RCEP therefore demonstrate our strong
commitment to a rule-based multilateral trading system that is open,
inclusive, relevant, and mutually beneficial. The Agreement will also
open up the possibility of future areas of cooperation in other sectors,
through deepening and broadening of our existing linkages. In this
regard, Thailand and China should continue to work closely together,
along with other RCEP Participating Countries, to uphold the important
value of multilateralism so as to ensure an open, transparent, equitable
and predictable environment for growth and prosperity in the region.   

Editor | Zhang Mei

Design | Demi