Interview: RCEP offers new economic opportunities for inclusive, balanced growth -- Malaysian business expert

采访：区域全面经济伙伴关系为包容、平衡的增长提供了新的经济机遇——马来西亚商业专家

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the world's largest free trade pact, will provide new opportunities for more inclusive and balanced growth, a Malaysian business observer said.

吉隆坡，1月7日（新华社）——一位马来西亚商业观察员表示，世界上最大的自由贸易协定，区域全面经济伙伴关系（RCEP）将为更包容、更平衡的增长提供新机会。

Among the many benefits of RCEP will be the transfer of technology and production capacity from developed countries to less developed ones, as the former seek to build up new markets, Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia (ACCCIM) deputy secretary-general Michael Chai Woon Chew told Xinhua in a recent interview.

马来西亚中华工商会联合会（ACCCIM)）副秘书长蔡焕洲在最近的一次采访中告诉新华社，区域全面经济伙伴关系的诸多好处之一为将发达国家的技术和生产能力转移到欠发达国家，因为前者寻求建立新市场。

"The more developed country invests in less developed countries. It helps to increase the economic output and improve income level, enhance the purchasing power to buy more goods and services from (the) more developed economy and vice versa," Chai said.

蔡焕洲说：“较发达的国家向欠发达的国家投资。这有助于欠发达国家增加经济产出，提高收入水平，增强购买力，从而从较发达的国家购买更多的商品和服务，反之亦然。”

"So you have technology transfer. People become richer. They can buy more, then the trade will develop more balanced in that sense," he said, adding that such trends had already been noted when ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) launched its economic community in 2015, leading to greater regional economic growth.

他说：“因此，便会出现技术转让。人们变得更富有。他们可以购买更多，于是从某种意义上看，贸易就会发展得更平衡。”他补充说，这种趋势在2015年东盟（东南亚国家联盟）成立经济共同体时就已经被注意到，东盟的成立推动了更大的区域经济增长。

Chai also said that RCEP also posed certain challenges, mainly on how businesses in participating countries need to educate themselves on the rules and to recognize the opportunities that RCEP offers them. It also urged close cooperation between governments, business associations and chambers of commerce to fully take advantage of the agreement.

蔡焕洲还表示，区域全面经济伙伴关系也带来了一些挑战，主要是参与国的企业需要如何让理解自己规则，并认识到区域全面经济伙伴关系为他们提供的机会。它还敦促各国政府、商业协会和商会进行密切合作，充分利用该协议。

Chai said that he talked with a lot of business people who said they didn't do export business and RCEP had nothing to do with them. "But think about it. If products from other countries are coming into Malaysia, which will actually affect the local businesses as well, how do we prepare for it?"

蔡焕洲说，他与许多商人交谈，他们说他们不做出口业务，区域全面经济伙伴关系与他们无关。“但想想看。如果来自其他国家的产品进入马来西亚，这实际上也会影响当地企业，我们应该如何对此做好准备呢？”

"We will face competition, especially in terms of costs and product competitiveness. So this is something whereby the government, as well as the chambers, can help the local businesses as to how to be more competitive, how to take on the challenge," he said.

他说：“我们将会面临竞争，尤其是在成本和产品竞争力方面，因此，政府和商会可以在这方面协助本地商界提高竞争力，迎接挑战。”

Chai said countries, such as Malaysia would receive a much needed economic boost following the economic disruption brought by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past two years, explaining the reduction of trade barriers including lower tariffs and greater integration would be a boon for the country.

蔡焕洲说，在过去两年中由于新冠疫情造成经济混乱之后，像马来西亚这样的国家急需获得经济增长，他解释说，减少贸易壁垒（包括降低关税和加强一体化）将对该国有利。

"So it's been a very tough two years for businesses and with this RCEP coming into being, tariff elimination, market liberalization, as well as trade facilitation will help the countries that have been impacted by (the) pandemic to recover," he said.

他说：“因此，这两年对企业来说是非常艰难的，随着区域全面经济伙伴关系的形成，关税取消、市场自由化以及贸易便利化将帮助受疫情影响的国家复苏。”

"With Malaysia, our open trade position will be greatly enhanced by increased market integration with reduced trade barriers, enhanced trade facilitation. Malaysia stands to benefit in terms of our geographical location especially for market access for participating countries supported by better trade facilitation to lower transaction costs for businesses and investors," he said.

他说：“随着市场一体化程度的提高，贸易壁垒的减少，贸易便利化程度的提高，我们的开放贸易地位将得到极大的提升。马来西亚将受益于其地理位置，特别是在参与国的市场准入方面，并得到更好的贸易便利化的支持，从而降低企业和投资者的交易成本。”

RCEP, which took effect on Jan. 1 this year, is made up of 10 ASEAN members, as well as China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, covering about 30 percent of the world's population, as well as its gross domestic product and trade volume.

区域全面经济伙伴关系协定于今年1月1日生效，由10个东盟成员国以及中国、日本、韩国、澳大利亚和新西兰组成，覆盖全球约30%的人口，以及其国内生产总值和贸易额。

While Malaysia is a signatory, it has yet to ratify the pact due to delays in its parliamentary proceedings caused by the COVID-19 situation in the country. RCEP is expected to be ratified when the lower house of the Malaysian parliament convenes in February.

虽然马来西亚是签约国，由于国内新冠疫情的影响，马来西亚议会程序受到拖延，还未批准该条约。马来西亚议会下议院预计将在2月召开会议，批准区域全面经济伙伴关系协定。