Wang Yi says China dependable partner for ASEAN countries

China has always been the most reliable stabilizing force in a turbulent world and the most dependable partner for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members to address challenges, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Malaysia on Thursday.

Noting that China and ASEAN share similar development concepts, common demands, and integrated interests, Wang said China regards ASEAN as a priority direction for neighborhood diplomacy and a pioneering area for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

"We should support and achieve success for each other in promoting the modernization process of Asia," said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Wang briefed the attendees on the achievements of China-ASEAN cooperation and put forward four proposals.

First, to be a model in defending international fairness and justice, Wang said that China and ASEAN must resolutely safeguard the global system, with the United Nations at its core, and the international order based on international law.

China supports ASEAN's central position in the regional architecture and its greater role in regional and international affairs. China is willing to work with ASEAN countries to practice open regionalism and true multilateralism and make greater contributions to regional and global governance.

Second, to be a model for maintaining regional peace and stability, Wang said that the peace and stability in the region are extremely precious and should be firmly safeguarded. He said that geopolitical conflicts or bloc confrontations should not be introduced into Asia, adding that China is willing to take the lead in signing the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone.

Wang said that the South China Sea is the shared home of regional countries, rather than a "gladiatorial arena" for major powers and that China is willing to expand cooperation with ASEAN countries in areas such as marine environmental protection, navigation safety, maritime law enforcement and key marine infrastructure, and fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, advance consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, and always keep the initiative on the South China Sea issue in our own hands.

Third, to set an example of conducting mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation, Wang said China is willing to work with ASEAN to build the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, foster the high-quality development of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and create a high-level free trade network.

China is willing to continue to take the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as the main platform, strengthen connectivity and cooperation in production and supply chains with ASEAN, and create highlights of cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, digital transformation and clean energy.

China speaks highly of ASEAN's firm commitment to free trade and the multilateral trading system and believes that it is necessary to resolve economic and trade differences through equal dialogue and mutual benefit, safeguard own dignity and the bottom line of principles, and must not do so at the expense of the interests of third parties, Wang said.

Fourth, to set an example for promoting inclusiveness and mutual learning, China is willing to continue to advocate dialogue, exchanges and mutual understanding among different civilizations with ASEAN countries, Wang said, adding that both sides should jointly well organize the "Year of People-to-People Exchange," enhance exchanges in education, youth, think tanks, media and other fields, take concrete actions to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, and promote mutual understanding, friendship and integration among the people.

The participating countries said that China-ASEAN cooperation is the most dynamic and fruitful. China has always been one of the most important dialogue partners of ASEAN, expressing gratitude to China for its support of ASEAN's central position.

They said that they are willing to accelerate the alignment of development strategies with China, cooperate under the Belt and Road Initiative at a high quality, deepen all-round cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, digital transformation, clean energy and transnational crime crackdown, and look forward to the signing of the ASEAN-China free trade area 3.0 protocol within this year to continuously promote regional economic integration.

Appreciating China's willingness to take the lead in signing the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone, they said they look forward to the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea by all parties.

They also said that they are willing to work with China to safeguard multilateralism and the multilateral trading system, jointly address global challenges, further strengthen unity and cooperation with China, advance the modernization process in Asia, and promote regional peace, stability and prosperity.

Wang also met with the foreign ministers of relevant countries during the meeting.