中国与马来西亚间贸易潜力巨大

 　　中国与马来西亚间贸易潜力巨大

        Malaysia is China's biggest trade partner among the member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

　　Trade between China and Malaysia has grown ten-fold over the past decade, reaching some 68 billion US dollars so far this year.

　　Tham Siew Yean is an economics professor at the University Kebangsaan in Malaysia.

　　She contends that on-top of the bilateral¹ trade figures continuing to grow, so is the structure of trade between the two sides.

　　"So we find that in Malaysia-China trade, there is a shift. If we come and look at the previous data, in terms of the types of goods that have been exported and imported. I think in the older days it was more resource-based, wood and wood products, I believe. Now it is electrical and electronics."

　　Tham says Malaysia welcomes investment from China, which she contends will help Malaysia become a regional financial hub.

　　"Malaysia is very interested in becoming an Islamic financial hub. I think that is something that can contribute to us and the development of China. I think Malaysia has investment interests in China and China has also increasing investments in Southeast Asia. So there is potentials in both countries to grow and develop."

　　Tham notes China and Southeast Asian countries are also looking to expand a free trade zone, which she says will further promote bilateral trade between China and Malaysia.

　　"So I believe we can maybe accelerate. Services liberalization is progressive as in the AFA's agreement. So we can upgrade in terms of opening more sectors³. We can deepen our commitments in the same way in the investment. I think if we upgrade the agreement in terms of services and investments, it will promote investments and services trade, besides just goods trade."

　　Tham also says one of the areas Malaysian authorities are looking toward China more for is the service sector², which is fast becoming a pillar of the Malaysian economy.

　　For CRI, I am Jordan Lee.

1 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

2 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

3 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》