Chinese premier calls for building an Asia of peace, openness

Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Thursday that China is ready to work with ASEAN, Japan, the Republic of Korea (ROK) and other Asian countries to uphold the Asian consciousness, carry forward the Oriental wisdom, and steadily move forward toward building an Asia of peace and tranquility, common prosperity, openness and interconnectivity.

Li made the remarks when addressing the 27th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit in Vientiane.

Over the past year, APT cooperation in various fields has made new progress, while its development still faces factors of instability and uncertainty, he said, noting that Asian countries share a common home, common interests and opportunities, and above all, common values.

Li said China will continue to work with all parties to give full play to the APT cooperation mechanism, support ASEAN's centrality in the regional architecture, promote the long-term, sound and stable development of the region, and inject more certainty and positive energy into Asia and the world.

He called on relevant parties to continue to foster a sound regional environment, uphold the principles of mutual respect, solidarity and mutual assistance, and consolidate public support for APT cooperation.

The premier called for sustained efforts to enhance the resilience of regional development, improve the stability and competitiveness of regional industrial systems, and implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement with high quality.

"China looks forward to accelerating the restart of China-Japan-ROK Free Trade Area negotiations," he added.

Li also called for invigorating regional innovation, promoting the implementation of APT exchange and cooperation programs in the digital, artificial intelligence, green development and supply chain fields, fostering new growth drivers for cooperation at a faster pace, optimizing the economic structure, and boosting the momentum for sustained development.

Leaders of countries attending the meeting said that the world is witnessing rising complexity and uncertainty, and that the APT cooperation, which has made important contribution to maintaining regional stability and promoting regional development, is facing an opportunity of further development.

All parties, they said, should closely unite and coordinate their actions, adhere to multilateralism and common Asian values, safeguard the multilateral trading system, and fully implement the RCEP agreement.

They called for deeper cooperation in the fields of economy and trade, investment and finance, digital economy, public health, culture, green economy, among others, safeguarding the security, stability and resilience of the industrial and supply chains, and promoting regional connectivity and economic integration.

The leaders also urged a joint drive to address global challenges such as climate change, as well as food and energy security, so as to make greater contributions to peace, stability and prosperity in Asia and the world.