GUANGZHOU- The 2011 World Customs and Trade Forum kicked off Thursday in Guangzhou, capital city of south China's Guangdong province.

Officials from international organizations and customs administrations, as well as managers from multinational corporations gathered at the two-day event to discuss topics including the customs-trade partnership and the management of customs administrations.

Yu Guangzhou, minister of the General Administration of Customs(GAC) of China said, the world economy is experiencing instability and uncertainty, and there has been a sharp increase in all forms of protectionism.

Therefore, members of the World Customs Organization should strengthen their cooperation and step up communication and collaboration with the business community in order to explore ways to enhance the security and convenience of customs with the power of knowledge and to promote the development of international trade and the prosperity of world economy, Yu said.

The GAC has been active in promoting international customs cooperation. It has established friendly relations with the customs administrations of 117 countries and regions, and 81 bilateral cooperative agreements have been signed by the GAC so far.

The World Customs and Trade Forum, a platform for dialogue and exchange between the customs and trade sectors, is an annual event launched by the World Customs Organization in 2007.