The Quadrangle Expo 2002 organized recently in Chiang Mai
produced agreement that the investment climate in this area should be
operating in economic zones. Other participants and observers like USA,
Australia, Japan and Germany, all had the same opinion that investment
should be operated by economic zone to economic zone, or regional scheme to
regional scheme, not as one country to another country.
It was felt that China will play the leadership role in
the Quadrangle (and ASEAN) instead of Japan and the U.S.A. Pornchai
Ruchiprapha, deputy secretary-general of the National Economic and Social
Development Board, pointed out that Thailand needs to make the investment
climate clearer in order to stabilize the area’s economic outlook. The
government has also encouraged the economic area of Chiang Rai to support
the trade and investment in the Quadrangle.
Chingchai Hanjenluck, executive director of Loxley, Ltd.,
said that Thai investment in this area has been operating well regarding
consumer products, with the Sahapat group and Charoen Pokkaphan group being
the leaders. However, he said that something that could be improved upon is
that Thailand is not yet using high technology or bio-technology, which are
highly needed in China.
U-Tian-Win, vice- president of the Burma Chamber of
Commerce and Industry told Chiangmai Mail that Burma was located in
between the two biggest markets; China and India. Burma also has the ability
to supply both markets through sea and land corridors. Burma is the
connection between ASEAN and BIMST-EC, consisting of India, Bangladesh, and
Pakistan.
He also said that Burma at the present has investment
from 25 countries, totaling around 7.5 billion USD. Over 32% of the
investment is in the natural gas and oil industry, with Malaysia being the
main investor in this field.
U-Tian-Win revealed that Burma wishes to join the
economic area but has been ignored in many projects. A project called the
East-West Corridor; the trade connection between Thailand, Laos and Vietnam
projects, does not have Burma as a part of it at all. “We want to ask the
ADB how can you call the project ‘East-West Corridor’?” U-Tian-Win
said.
Ju Jeng Kua, the president of the Yunnan Chamber of
Commerce said that China gives significant importance to ASEAN and the
cooperation amongst China, Japan, Korea, and ASEAN. The project to decrease
all tax to zero percent in the free commercial ASEAN and China area by 2007
is China’s dream. He said he believes that in the future, the Quadrangle
would become a rival of the western coast of China. “At the moment, ASEAN
has invested 2 billion USD in China, whereas China has invested only one
billion USD in ASEAN. However, the Chinese government aims to increase
investment in ASEAN within 5 years. Moreover, we have the aim to import 2
billion USD in goods from ASEAN nations next year,” he said.
Ju also said that in the future there will be cooperation
between countries all over the world, but each country cannot individually
make trade, or separate itself from its group of countries. Therefore,
private companies need to cooperate. China is planning to facilitate foreign
investment in every way, too, Ju said.
Kom Duanjunta, assistant director of Foreign Affairs,
Tourism Department, Laos, said that Laos needs to develop tourism together
with countries in the provincial area, because at the moment 50% of their
tourism comes from neighboring countries. Laos cooperates with tourist
operators in the area to promote package tours instead of individual tourism
as in the past.
Kom also said that Laos still expects to continue trade
with neighboring countries. When the 252 km route from Huaysai to Borten is
finished, Laos will become the connection between China and Thailand. At the
present, the route has been sponsored by Thailand, Laos and China. With
economic cooperation and loans the construction will be finished within 2
years.
