Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Monday met with ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn in Beijing, with the two sides agreeing to further deepen cooperation in various fields.

Noting this year marks the 10th anniversary of building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future and the 20th anniversary of China's joining the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), Qin said China and ASEAN have followed the principle of peaceful coexistence among neighboring countries, setting a prime example of good-neighborliness and friendship.

China is willing to work with ASEAN countries to carry forward the principles of the UN Charter and the spirit of the TAC, and work together to maintain regional rules and order, Qin stressed.

He also said China is willing to take the lead in signing the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone and advocate with ASEAN for unity and win-win cooperation to jointly safeguard regional security and stability.

China appreciates that ten ASEAN countries have joined the Group of Friends of the Global Development Initiative, Qin said, and voiced China's willingness to promote mutually beneficial cooperation between China-proposed Belt and Road initiative and the ASEAN's Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

The Chinese foreign minister called on the two sides to advance negotiations for the 3.0 version of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area agreement to provide new momentum for East Asian economic growth.

China is willing to work with ASEAN to implement the Global Civilization Initiative and close people-to-people exchanges to provide inexhaustible impetus for mutually beneficial cooperation between the two sides.

Qin told the secretary-general that China and ASEAN countries should steer clear of external disruptions, effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in its entirety and speed up consultations on a code of conduct (COC).

Noting Myanmar is a member of the ASEAN family, Qin said China fully supports ASEAN's constructive mediation on Myanmar issues through the "ASEAN Way."

In response, the secretary general acknowledged China's role as a good partner of ASEAN. He expressed willingness to strengthen cooperation in various areas, and speed up the negotiation of a free trade zone between the two sides.

He also voiced support to the Global Development Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, saying the ASEAN side is willing to cooperate with China on the implementation of relevant initiatives.