CMU’s CAMT is involved in the “Creating opportunities for cross-border trade among Mekong-Lan Xang member countries from the development of the R3A route and the China-Pan Asia railway network “project, launched on Wednesday February 10, 2021.
CMU’s Dr. Danai Thanyapong Patcharathornthep, Head of China Intelligence Center, College of Arts, Media and Technology (CAMT), is the project sponsor, Mrs. Oramon Supthawitham, Director-General, Department of International Trade Negotiations, is the President and the project is supported by the Mekong-Lan Xang Special Fund and the Ministry of Commerce. With a budget of US $452,600, the aim is to build the Chiang Khong Special Economic Zone into a cross-border e-commerce hub (CBEC) to export Thai products through the R3A route connecting the Kunming Free Trade Zone, done by creating a CBEC business model and relying on the Chinese Railway Network Distribution to China, connecting with Europe.
The Department of Trade Negotiations Ministry of Commerce and the Mekong Special Fund - Lan Xang of the People's Republic of China shall initiate research to suggest development direction for cross border logistics in R3A for Cross Border E-commerce, as well as the utilization of the Chinese railway network to transport goods to destinations in Europe and is expected to take 3 years from 2021 to 2023.
In addition, the ministry is working on other projects totaling more than US $ 1.7, including Cross-border Special Economic Zones, Facilitation Development Projects under Mekong-Lan Xang business forums and E-commerce development in rural areas.
The Mekong-Lan Xang Cooperation Framework comprises of six members: Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, and China, and aims to increase potential in product development, cross-border trading, water resources, and economic cooperation, as well as boosting agriculture and reducing poverty.
The Ministry of Commerce has been assigned as the main coordinating agency of Thailand. In the field of cross-border economic cooperation, for the year 2020 (Jan.-Oct), trade between Thailand and Mekong-Lan Xang members was worth $ 95,006 million US (exports $44,479 million, imports $50,527 million).
CMAT will study the related regulations for Cross-Border E-Commerce to drive the development of the Chiang Khong SEZ to become a center of the CBEC. In addition, CAMT will also sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the support of the Mekong-Lan Xang Special Fund, and the National Research Agency. Through this the Biz Club Thailand business network shall create entrepreneurial development courses based on research and marketing opportunities for business network products. The implementation of activities within the project include holding trainings and seminars, exhibiting business matching, the introduction of the O2O E-commerce system.
Translated by International Relations Division
February 17, 2021