世界最大的自由贸易区之一在新年创建。星期五，六个东南亚国家联盟的创办国和中国开始执行一项协议，移除对进出口商品和货品征收关税的90%。
被称作中国-东盟自由贸易区的新贸易集团包括中国、文莱、印度尼西亚、马来西亚、菲律宾、新加坡和泰国。这些国家总共有大约19亿人，使之在人口上成为最大的贸易团体。
中国和东盟成员国之间的贸易额预计为2000亿美元左右。最初的自由贸易协定在2002年签署。东盟的新成员缅甸、柬埔寨、老挝和越南将在今后五年中逐渐被纳入协议中。
The new year marks the beginning of one of the world’s largest free trade areas.On Friday, the six founding members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China began implementing an agreement that removes tariffs on 90 percent of imported and exported goods and commodities.
Formally known as the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, the new trading block covers China and the nations of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Some 1.9 billion people reside in the block’s member states, making it the world’s largest in terms of population.
The amount of trade between China and ASEAN members is expected to be about $200 billion.The initial free trade agreement was signed in 2002. ASEAN’s newer members — Burma, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam — will gradually come under the agreement over the next five years.