Experts propose to build S China Sea cooperation zone

Source: Xinhua | 03-07-2008 08:52

HAIKOU, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Experts from China and southeast Asia on Thursday called for establishing a regional South China Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (SCSEC) to boost regional trade and investment.

Wu Shicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, called for setting up a regional South China Sea Economic Cooperative Organization that would encompass Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore and China's Hainan and Guangdong provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region plus two special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macao.

The SCSEC could be an important part of the China-ASEAN cooperative framework and help develop the resource advantages in the region, Wu told the International Seminar of South China Sea Regional Cooperation here.

Countries and regions around the South China Sea should build a mechanism to promote trade and investment and strengthen cooperation in infrastructure, tourism and agriculture, said Mahani Zainal Abidin, director of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia.

The SCSEC would cover an area of 3.3 million square kilometers and have a population of nearly 600 million people with an economy estimated at 1.7 trillion U.S. dollars, experts said.

Editor:Xiong Qu