13 April 2004 -- The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced that a fourteen-man delegation composed of China’s Trade and Foreign Ministry officials will visit the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) this April.

As a first step towards enhancing cooperation between China and the BIMP-EAGA, the delegation, which will also include businessmen from at least 3 state-owned companies, is scheduled to travel to Brunei, Kota Kinabalu, Manado, and Mindanao and Palawan from 16 to 29 April 2004. The visit aims to identify possible areas of cooperation and explore opportunities for trade and investment between China and the BIMP-EAGA sub-region.

The China study mission is scheduled to arrive in Manila on 23 April and will proceed to Mindanao and Palawan to meet with members of the local business sector and government officials.

The BIMP-EAGA was formally launched in 1994 as a means of promoting sub-regional economic activities led by the private sector and assisted by local governments, but implementation of planned activities was shelved due to the financial crisis in 1997. The BIMP-EAGA economic cooperation accelerates socio-economic growth in the less developed regions of the participating countries.

For the Philippines' Mindanao and Palawan islands, the scheme is significant as it allows direct cross-border trade, thereby hastening the islands' economic development. The success of this concept is hinged on the fact that its component areas are geographically proximate, thus allowing easy cross-border investments that spur economic activity by sharing resources and markets. Recent achievements of the BIMP-EAGA include the establishment of transport linkages, and the initiative to harmonize the Customs, Immigration, Quarantine and Security (CIQ-S) rules, regulations and procedures in the sub-region.

In line with President Arroyo’s initiatives to revive the BIMP-EAGA, the Philippines, through the collaborative efforts of the Mindanao Economic Development Council (MEDCO) and the DFA, has taken the lead in promoting the BIMP-EAGA and seeking support from the ASEAN dialogue partners. As a result of the DFA’s efforts to include BIMP-EAGA as a priority in ASEAN Plans of Action with the dialogue partners, China has committed to invest and support the development of the sub-region. This visit by the Chinese delegation is a follow-through of the statement made by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the 9th ASEAN Summit held in Bali, Indonesia in October 2003, during which he committed to support the BIMP-EAGA. Japan is also expected to send a delegation this year to visit the sub-region and identify possible areas of cooperation. - END