As important participants and beneficiaries of the multilateral trading regime, China and ASEAN countries have the
responsibility and obligation to jointly uphold free trade and multilateralism.
mong the upcoming annual post-ministerial conferences of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting will be one of the most important events.
As President Xi Jinping pointed out in his congratulatory letter to the opening ceremony of ASEAN-China Year of Media Exchanges in February, ASEAN-China relations have entered a new stage of all-round development, which I believe can be characterized by the following points.
First, the pathway of the development of ASEAN-China relations is clearer. Leaders of both sides are always in the driver’s seat steering the development of ASEAN-China relations in the right direction. President Xi proposed to build a higher-level ASEAN-China strategic partnership and a closer ASEAN-China community with a shared future, charting the course of long-term development of these relations.
Second, strategic mutual trust is deeper. Leaders of China and ASEAN maintain frequent high-level exchanges. Besides intensive bilateral visits, leaders of the 10 ASEAN countries and the deputy secretary-general of the ASEAN Secretariat attended the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation last April, demonstrating the deep mutual trust between the two sides. We remain committed to resolving differences through dialogue and consultation and getting rid of external interference to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea.
We have accelerated Code of Conduct (COC) consultations to jointly explore the formulation of regional rules at sea. We also held the first joint maritime exercise, as part of our efforts to enhance defense and security cooperation. Thanks to these concerted endeavors, the strategic mutual trust between the two sides has risen to an unprecedented new height.
Third, economic and trade cooperation is growing faster. Against the backdrop of sluggish global growth and rising trade protectionism, ASEAN-China trade volume hit a record high in 2018, reaching US$587.8 billion, with a growth rate of 14.1 percent year-on-year. In the first half of 2019, landmark progress was achieved, with ASEAN overtaking the United States to become China’s second-largest trading partner.
Trade volume reached $291.85 billion in the first six months and is expected to exceed $600 billion by the end of the year. The industrial sectors in China and ASEAN, which are at difference stages of development, are increasingly complementary to each other.
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