Gao Yunlong, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), recently attended the RCEP Economic and Trade Cooperation Business Forum held in Nanning, capital of Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, via video link.

The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a large trade pact signed last year by 10 ASEAN members and China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand.

With the theme "Sharing new opportunity, embracing new development, and creating new future," the forum was jointly hosted by the ASEAN Secretariat and the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce (ACFIC) in cooperation with the government of Guangxi. It focused on regional economic integration and connectivity of industrial and supply chains under the RCEP framework.

Gao, also chairman of the ACFIC, said the RCEP has opened up unprecedented space for people in the business community to forge ahead with entrepreneurship and innovation.

He called for efforts on five fronts in converting the pact's blueprint into reality. They include supporting inter-governmental projects on infrastructure connectivity, strengthening cooperation in industrial chains to minimize risks, and increasing partnership to stimulate sci-tech innovation. It's also necessary to promote sustainable development through closer regional collaboration and let business associations play a more prominent role, said Gao.

The ACFIC has established extensive contact and friendly cooperation with over 400 organizations, agencies and chambers of commerce in more than 100 countries and regions, and will further strengthen its ties with business associations of RCEP member countries to bolster regional economic and trade cooperation, according to Gao.