The date for the resumption of debate and voting on the trade agreement signed with China in the National Assembly is still unknown, but what is clear is that it must be before the expiration of the 30-day suspension period that occurred on January 11, indicated Henry Kronfle, the chairman of the legislative bodies.

And while that time passes, parliamentarians clarify the doubts they have about the international instrument that was signed in May 2023, because according to Kronfle, “the framework of the negotiations is not well understood by individual parliamentarians”.

China, awaiting the status of the trade agreement in the National Assembly

According to Kronfle, the discourse that the national industry will be affected has changed to the understanding that it is very well protected. Furthermore, “they thought that exports would decrease, which is the opposite”. “Exports will increase with access to the Chinese market, especially star exports that generate foreign currency for Ecuador, later it was thought to be a matter of bad environmental negotiations, that has nothing to do with it either,” he said this Monday, January 29, in Teleamazonas.

Considering this scenario, he indicated that he asked various actors, production chambers, even the Government, for access to technical discussions with members of the assembly and added that even the Chinese ambassador Chen Guoyou participated in this meeting.

“Even the Chinese ambassador who visited us, we talked about it. To the Government, the Chancellor and the Ministry of Production (to) address all those who have doubts. We hope to clarify these concerns before the 30 days of contract suspension expires, which would be around February 9, that is, before February 9 we would have an invitation to the National Assembly to discuss the matter again and hopefully it can be resolved there. get votes,” he explained.

When asked whether there is ignorance about the content and scope of the agreement or bad will of the legislators, Kronfle answered: “I think there is ignorance, I don’t see ill will”, and the proof of this is that they have already approved ten laws in more than two months since Assembly established, and nine were approved with more than 100 votes, including one impeachment with more than 100 votes. “I don’t see ill will, I see an assembly that works together… I think it’s ignorance, for a reason because these are extremely complex issues,” he repeated.

In his case, he said that because of his past as a union leader, president of businessmen, even involved in the auxiliary spaces of international negotiations, he “knows very well the issues that are still complex.” In this sense, he commented that he considers it “important that people have communication and that they have the peace of mind to understand what they are going to vote for and that these myths can be removed from those axes in terms of what will affect the company, not that jobs will be created , we will lose exports or there are environmental problems, it’s just the opposite,” he assured.