A shortcut connecting a population of 1.5 billion

Map of Southeast Asia, provided by the Forum on China-ASEAN Free Trade Area

The total GDP of the seven countries along the Nanning-Singapore Corridor amounts to US$5.2 trillion, with a population of 1.53 billion in 2008 (see table one).

     Table one: Nanning-Singapore Corridor Countries’ Land Area, Population and GDP, 2008

Country	Land Area (10,000 sq km)	Population （10,000）	GDP (US$0.1 billion)	Per Capita GDP （US dollar）
China	960	132802	44020	3310
Vietnam	32.96	8611	908	1055
Laos	23.68	667	52	776
Thailand	51.31	6549	2721	4155
Cambodia	18.1	1424	108	760
Malaysia	33.03	2527	2147	8496
Singapore	0.0699	460	1928	41840
Total	1119.1499	153040	51884	3390

Note: provided by the Forum on China-ASEAN Free Trade Area

Table two: Trade volume Between China and Indochina Peninsula Countries, 2008

	Exports & imports (US$0.1 billion)	Growth rate (%)	Exports (US$0.1 billion)	Imports (US$0.1 billion)
Vietnam	194.65	28.8	151.22	43.43
Laos	4.15	57.5	2.68	1.47
Myanmar	26.26	26.4	19.78	6.48
Thailand	412.52	18.9	156.05	256.47
Cambodia	11.33	21.3	10.94	0.39
Malaysia	534.69	15.2	213.75	320.94
Singapore	524.35	10.5	323.00	201.35
Total	1707．95

Note: provided by the Forum on China-ASEAN Free Trade Area

The trade volume between China and Indochina Peninsula countries accounts for 74.9% of the total number between China and ASEAN countries (see table two). Therefore, building a multinational economic corridor has great significance. It will strengthen regional industrial cooperation on agriculture, tourism, transportation and services. Lu’s study also shows that the corridor will promote the efficient allocation of resources and production factors.

Better infrastructure urged

"After CAFTA begins operation, the transportation of cargo and passengers will increase sharply. Apart from developing sea transportation, the most important task is to build highways and high-speed railways that link China and ASEAN countries together,” Lu insisted.

“Better transportation and communication links will enable more efficient movement of goods, services and people between ASEAN and China, particularly to the less-developed states of ASEAN and areas in southwest China,” said Dato Abdul Majid, president of the Malaysia-China Friendship Association.

He added, “China’s participation in these sectors could act as a catalyst.”

(China Development Gateway written by Wei Bo, translated by Jiao Meng, January 16, 2010)