Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the 18th China-ASEAN Expo and China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, which opened Friday in Nanning, capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Over the past 30 years since China and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) established dialogue relations, the two sides have deepened all-round cooperation and become each other's largest trading partners, making it the most dynamic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, Xi said. 

Since the COVID-19 epidemic broke out, China and ASEAN have joined hands to fight the virus and overcome the difficulties together, interpreting the spirit of a community with a shared future through practical actions, he noted.

"Last November, at the opening ceremony of the 17th China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, I put forward four proposals on building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future, which received positive responses from ASEAN countries," Xi said, adding that cooperation in related areas is continuing to advance.  

Looking ahead, he said China is willing to enhance strategic mutual trust with ASEAN, deepen cooperation in various fields such as epidemic fighting, as well as economy and trade.

He also called on the two sides to promote the early entry into force of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, build the Belt and Road with high quality and a higher level of strategic partnership, and jointly maintain the good momentum of prosperity and development in the region.