{
    "success": true,
    "data": {
        "id": 1022745,
        "msgid": "keating-proposes-free-trade-links-with-asean-countries-1447899208",
        "date": "1994-04-08 00:00:00",
        "title": "Keating proposes free trade links with ASEAN countries ",
        "author": null,
        "source": "AFP",
        "tags": null,
        "topic": null,
        "summary": "Keating proposes free trade links with ASEAN countries BANGKOK (AFP): Australia and Thailand will create a bilateral trade commission and explore ways to link ASEAN and the Australia-New Zealand free trade zones, Prime Minister Paul Keating said here yesterday. Keating said he and Thai counterpart Chuan Leekpai had agreed immediately during their meeting to establish a ministerial commission to \"discuss ways to expand trade\" and other links between their two countries.",
        "content": "<p>Keating proposes free trade links with ASEAN countries<\/p>\n<p>BANGKOK (AFP): Australia and Thailand will create a bilateral <br>\ntrade commission and explore ways to link ASEAN and the <br>\nAustralia-New Zealand free trade zones, Prime Minister Paul <br>\nKeating said here yesterday.<\/p>\n<p>Keating said he and Thai counterpart Chuan Leekpai had agreed <br>\nimmediately during their meeting to establish a ministerial <br>\ncommission to \"discuss ways to expand trade\" and other links <br>\nbetween their two countries.<\/p>\n<p>The commission, he said, could open the door for a body <br>\nhandling \"multilateral resolutions of trade problems and ... <br>\ntrade opportunities on a multilateral basis.\"<\/p>\n<p>Keating arrived Wednesday in Thailand for a four-day official <br>\nvisit, the highlight of which will be the opening Friday of the <br>\nAustralian-funded Friendship Bridge across the Mekong River to <br>\nLaos.<\/p>\n<p>Thailand and Australia have discussed informally for six <br>\nmonths the prospect of combining the Association of Southeast <br>\nAsian Nations (ASEAN) and the Australia-New Zealand free trade <br>\nzones into one large marketplace.<\/p>\n<p>Thai officials suggested yesterday the time was ripe for <br>\nformal discussions with other ASEAN members, Keating said.<\/p>\n<p>He said Chuan had mentioned the prospect to other ASEAN <br>\nleaders and had met with no objections.<\/p>\n<p>The gross domestic product (GDP) of the two zones was nearly <br>\nequal, Keating said, \"so it would be a doubling of that market.\" <br>\nBut Keating qualified his remarks by saying there was no time <br>\nframe for any possible linkage.<\/p>\n<p>ASEAN comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, <br>\nSingapore and Thailand.<\/p>\n<p>Keating said the Thai-Australian ministerial commission, once <br>\nactive, would tackle disputes such as lowering import tariffs, in <br>\norder to help Thailand and Australia \"do justice\" to their trade <br>\npotential.<\/p>\n<p>Two-way trade between Thailand and Australia was worth A$2 <br>\nbillion (US$1.42 billion) in 1993, growing an average of 25 <br>\npercent annually.<\/p>\n<p>The Australian leader met again with premier Chuan last night <br>\nand with the Thai monarch, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, before flying <br>\nSunday to Hanoi.<\/p>",
        "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/keating-proposes-free-trade-links-with-asean-countries-1447899208",
        "image": ""
    },
    "sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
    "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}