Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the comprehensive strategic partnership between ASEAN and China “has a strong start and a good start”. He said that China will focus on providing greater momentum for economic recovery in the region and the world, as well as more development opportunities for ASEAN countries.
ASEAN – China’s expanded foreign ministers’ meeting was held on Thursday morning (August 4) at the Sokha Hotel in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. In his opening remarks, Wang Yi expressed warm congratulations on the 55th anniversary of ASEAN’s founding. He was also pleased with the achievements of the ASEAN Community and looked forward to the greater development of ASEAN.
In November last year, ASEAN and China upgraded their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. Wang Yi said that in just over half a year, cooperation between China and ASEAN in various fields has achieved gratifying progress.
For example, in terms of security, Wang Yi said: “The two sides strengthen strategic communication, join hands to deal with the challenges of various external forces, and jointly maintain the hard-won peace and stability in the region.”
In terms of trade, Wang Yi said that ASEAN and China will jointly implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and advance the feasibility study of the follow-up negotiations on the upgrade of the free trade area.
ASEAN and China also continued to be each other’s largest trading partners, with trade volume exceeding US$450 billion (S$620 billion) in the first half of the year, up 11.5% year-on-year.
This year is the ASEAN-China Year of Sustainable Development Cooperation. Wang Yi said that the two sides have also carried out more than 20 activities and cooperation, are discussing to jointly build a clean energy cooperation center, and will hold a dialogue on climate change and ecological environment.
Wang Yi looked relaxed at the meeting. After entering the venue, he had a brief conversation with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno and sat down. He then got up on stage to take a photo with ASEAN Foreign Minister, and also shook hands with Chinese Foreign Minister Dr. Vivian.