ASEAN countries should be wary of external forces provoking antagonism in the region to stir up the Cold War mentality and undermine the hard-won peace and stability, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Saturday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when he met with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai in Beijing.

Wang pointed out that the U.S. has intensified its highly targeted "Indo-Pacific strategy" and recently cobbled together trilateral security circles with Britain, Australia, Japan and South Korea, respectively, in an attempt to maintain its hegemonic position, which will challenge and impact the regional cooperation architecture centered on ASEAN and undermine regional peace and stability.

China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to enhance consultations on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and strive for a conclusion of effective and substantive regional rules as soon as possible to build the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, he said.

In terms of developing relations with Thailand, Wang said that it is not affected by changes in the international situation nor in Thailand's domestic situation, adding he believes that Thailand will maintain stability and sustained development.

China is willing to deepen cooperation with Thailand in various fields, Wang said, urging the two sides to speed up constructing the connection lines between the China-Thailand railway and the China-Laos-Thailand railway and jointly crack down on transnational crimes such as telecom fraud.

China will continue to firmly support ASEAN community building and ASEAN centrality and uphold the joint establishment of an economic growth center, so as to inject new impetus into regional economic integration, he said.

Through deepening collaboration under the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation mechanism, both sides can build an area of pioneering efforts under the Global Development Initiative, a pilot area of cooperation under the Global Security Initiative and forge an even closer community with a shared future for Lancang-Mekong countries, he added.

Don spoke highly of the Thailand-China relationship, saying the robust bilateral ties have brought great benefits to the two peoples. He added that despite the rising uncertainties in the international and regional situation, Thailand is willing to strengthen dialogue and exchanges with China, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields, promote the China-Laos-Thailand railway connection and achieve common development.

Talking about the security situation in the Southeast Asian region, Don said Thailand appreciated China's willingness to take the lead in signing the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty and China's support for the greater synergy between the ASEAN Outlook on Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and China's Belt and Road Initiative.

AOIP is an affirmation of ASEAN's role in maintaining peace, security, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, he said.

He added that China's support for deepening Lancang-Mekong cooperation and building the South China Sea into a sea of peace, cooperation and stability is also appreciated.

The Thai foreign minister also expressed firm opposition to zero-sum thinking and camp confrontation, saying Thailand welcomes the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative proposed by China, which he said "set an example for the world."

The two sides also exchanged views on the Myanmar issue. Both agreed to promote the political settlement of the issue and support resolving the Myanmar issue in the ASEAN way.