The Third ASEAN-China Joint Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation was held on 28 March 2001 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Meeting was co-chaired by Mr Krik-Krai Jirapaet, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Thailand and Vice Minister An Min, Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation (MOFTEC), People’s Republic of China (PRC).

The Meeting was convened to follow-up on the proposal by Premier Zhu Rong Ji at the ASEAN-China Summit on 25 November 2000 to establish an ASEAN-China Expert Group on Economic Cooperation to look into the implications of China’s accession to the WTO and recommend measures how to further enhance ASEAN-China economic cooperation and integration, including the possibility of establishing a free trade area between ASEAN and China.

The Meeting formally established the ASEAN-China Expert Group on Economic Cooperation and adopted the Terms of Reference. The Expert Group would be led by government officials but could be supplemented with academics and other experts. Each ASEAN country and China will nominate their representatives to the Expert Group.

The Meeting also expect to convene the First ASEAN Economic Ministers-China (MOFTEC) Meeting in Ha Noi, Viet Nam later in the year.

The ASEAN-China Expert Group will submit its report to the First ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM)-China (MOFTEC) Meeting before being presented to the ASEAN-China Summit in Brunei Darussalam.

The First Meeting of the ASEAN-China Expert Group on Economic Cooperation will be held in April 2001 in China. Subsequent meetings will alternate between ASEAN and China.