Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang met here today with Secretary General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Kao Kim Hoorn.
Qin Gang recalled that this year marks 10 years since Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed building a closer China-ASEAN Common Future Community, and 20 years since China joined the Southeast Asia Friendship and Cooperation Treaty. . The minister noted that China and ASEAN have embarked on the path of peaceful coexistence between neighboring countries of different sizes and have established a model of good neighborly relations. He said the Chinese side is ready to work with ASEAN to promote the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, to develop the spirit of the Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and to jointly uphold regional rules and order. China highly appreciates the accession of 10 ASEAN member countries to the Group of Friends in support of the Global Development Initiative and intends to promote the development of mutually beneficial cooperation in priority areas under the Belt and Road Initiative and the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Vision, said Qin Gang. He expressed the hope that the parties will take advantage of the favorable opportunities of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement that has come into full force, promote the early achievement of intermediate progress in the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 negotiations, which will give new impetus to economic growth in East Asia.
Qin Gang pointed out that China is ready to work with ASEAN member countries to remove external obstacles, to comprehensively and effectively implement the Declaration of Action of the parties in the South China Sea, and to strive for the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, so as to provide institutional guarantees for the transformation South China Sea to the sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.
Kao Kim Hoorn, for his part, noted that China is a reliable partner of ASEAN. He added that ASEAN is willing to work with China to further strengthen cooperation in various fields, speed up negotiations on the 3.0 Free Trade Area, hold commemorative events to mark the 20th anniversary of China’s accession to the Southeast Asia Friendship and Cooperation Treaty and the 20th anniversary of the first China-ASEAN EXPO, accelerate the negotiations on the Code of Conduct for the South China Sea, work together to safeguard regional security and stability, and promote the region’s common prosperity.
Source : russian.people.com.cn
