A Special Foreign Ministers’ Meeting took place in Beijing on August 29to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership betweenthe Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China.
Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh led a delegation to the event.
During the meeting, the ministers shared their positive views on thecomprehensive development and important achievements in bilateralcooperation during the past decade in all fields, including politics,economics, trade, investment, culture and people-to-people exchange.
At present, ASEAN-China cooperation has beenimplemented deeply and widely through more than 40 mechanisms, withtwo-way trade surpassing 400 billion USD last year, eight times higherthan that of 2003. China is now the largest trade partner ofASEAN, while the latter the third largest of the former.
Total two-way investment also rose four times to 100 billion USD in2012. The number of tourists travelling between the bloc and Chinareached 15 million, a fivefold increase compared to that of 10 yearsago.
The ministers said the robust andcomprehensive development over the past time has made ASEAN-Chinarelations one of the key pillars in regional cooperation, positivelycontributing to common peace, stability, development and prosperity.
They agreed that in the future, ASEAN andChina need to make use of the existing development impetus andrecorded achievements to lift their strategic partnership to a newheight to make greater contributions to regional peace, stability anddevelopment.
On this basis, the two sides willcontinue strengthening dialogue, consultations and cooperation inpolitics, and security to reinforce mutual trust. They will also step upeconomic, trade and investment cooperation and effectively implementthe ASEAN-China free trade agreement (FTA), and work closely to finalisea regional comprehensive economic partnership (RCEP) in East Asia ,they said.
They will consider a proposal on upgrading their FTA, aiming for 500 billion USD in two-way trade by 2015.
The ministers underscored the need to further connectivity,especially in infrastructure, and boost cultural and people-to-peopleexchanges, while fostering links among enterprises, strengtheningmaritime cooperation and coordination in coping with non-traditionalsecurity issues such as climate change, natural disasters, pandemics,transnational crimes, energy and food security.
They highlighted the necessity to work more closely to be well-preparedfor the 16 th ASEAN-China Summit in October, including the drafting of ajoint statement to fuel and guide the development of their strategicpartnership in the future.
The meeting also gavemuch space to underline the significance of maintaining peace,stability and maritime security, safety and freedom, as well as thepeaceful settlement of disputes in the East Sea based on the 1982 UnitedNations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), the full andeffective implementation of the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in theEast Sea (COC) and the soon formation of a Code of Conduct (COC) in theEast Sea.
The ministers applauded the decisionto conduct the first official consultations at the Senior Officials’Meeting (SOM) between ASEAN and China on COC scheduled for next monthin Suzhou , China .
Accordingly, ASEAN willshare its stance on the need to promptly build a binding COC stipulatingcomprehensive principles to ensure peace and prevent conflicts as wellas the behaviours of each party on the basis of complying withinternational law and the 1982 UNCLOS.
During theconference and meetings between ASEAN foreign ministers and ChinesePremier Li Keqiang and State Councillor Yang Jiechi, the Chinese sideaffirmed its consistent policy of attaching importance to buildingfriendly neighbourliness and mutual beneficial cooperation with ASEAN.
It gives high priority to ASEAN in its foreign policy and supports thegroup’s central role in the regional architecture. It also pledges tocontinue backing ASEAN in its efforts to build community, implementregional connectivity and narrow development gap.
China reiterates its policy of peaceful and friendly development,creating a momentum for the development of the region as a whole andASEAN in particular.
Referring to exchanges, Chinaproposes the joint research of upgrading the ASEAN-China FTA, setting upthe Asian Credit Transfer System, Monetary Fund, and Financial andInvestment Fund in hope to fund infrastructure projects.
China affirms to continue cooperating with ASEAN in ensuring peace inthe East Sea and fully implementing the DOC towards the COC, thusturning the East Sea into a sea of reliance, cooperation anddevelopment.
Attending the meeting, Foreign MinisterPham Binh Minh made positive assessments on the intensive and extensivedevelopment of ASEAN-China cooperation.
That China hasbecome ASEAN’s first strategic partner, the first one joining theTreaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) and thenegotiations to establish the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area symbolises thespecial relations between the two sides, laying an important foundationfor ceaseless development and great achievements in bilateralcooperation.
The two sides should continue tostrengthen cooperation, mutual understanding and trust via consultationand dialogue, the FM stressed.
China and ASEAN alsoneed to cooperate in building an ASEAN-centred regional architecturesuitable for peace, stability and development by promoting the East Asiaconnectivity process, coordination in dealing with non-traditionalsecurity challenges and enhancing maritime security cooperation, headded.
He said the two sides should support thestrengthening of ASEAN-China connectivity, especially in infrastructuredevelopment and transport connectivity, including the promotion ofMekong basin cooperation and the initiative “Two corridors, one economicbelt”.
They should also foster cultural andpeople-to-people exchanges and boost tourism, economic, trade andinvestment cooperation by maximizing mechanisms such as ASEAN-China FreeTrade Area, ASEAN-China Centre, and China-ASEAN Expo, Minh noted.
The FM stressed the importance of maintaining peace, stability andmaritime security, safety and freedom in the East Sea, welcoming thepast progress between China and ASEAN.
He said thatthe full and effective implementation of DOC and the early establishmentof COC will contribute to enhancing trust and ensuring peace, stabilityand security in the region.
On this occasion, ForeignMinister Minh held a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi,during which both sides spoke highly of the important outcomes of thevisits made by the two countries’ high-ranking leaders and newdevelopments in their relations.
They affirmed thatthe two sides will continue working together to effectively realisetheir leaders’ common perceptions, and an action programme onimplementing the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperativepartnership in all fields.
They agreed to coordinatein organising the second Vietnam-China Youth Festival in Guangxi in late2013 and soon kick off construction of the Vietnam-China FriendshipPalace and establish a cultural centre in each country.
The two FMs also affirmed close coordination between the two sides toensure the success of the meeting between Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dungand his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang on the sidelines of theChina-ASEAN Expo in Nanning next month, contributing to furtherdeveloping the two countries’ relations.
Regarding theASEAN-China relationship, FM Minh spoke highly of this specialASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, saying the ASEAN-China strategicpartnership has reaped many positive achievements over the past decade,bringing practical benefits to both sides.
He affirmed that Vietnam will continue working closely with the Chinese side to further strengthen this partnership.
He also expressed his hope that through this special meeting, ASEANand China will review their cooperation over the past 10 years, as wellas work out directions to develop bilateral relationship in the time tocome.-VNA
Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh led a delegation to the event.
During the meeting, the ministers shared their positive views on thecomprehensive development and important achievements in bilateralcooperation during the past decade in all fields, including politics,economics, trade, investment, culture and people-to-people exchange.
At present, ASEAN-China cooperation has beenimplemented deeply and widely through more than 40 mechanisms, withtwo-way trade surpassing 400 billion USD last year, eight times higherthan that of 2003. China is now the largest trade partner ofASEAN, while the latter the third largest of the former.
Total two-way investment also rose four times to 100 billion USD in2012. The number of tourists travelling between the bloc and Chinareached 15 million, a fivefold increase compared to that of 10 yearsago.
The ministers said the robust andcomprehensive development over the past time has made ASEAN-Chinarelations one of the key pillars in regional cooperation, positivelycontributing to common peace, stability, development and prosperity.
They agreed that in the future, ASEAN andChina need to make use of the existing development impetus andrecorded achievements to lift their strategic partnership to a newheight to make greater contributions to regional peace, stability anddevelopment.
On this basis, the two sides willcontinue strengthening dialogue, consultations and cooperation inpolitics, and security to reinforce mutual trust. They will also step upeconomic, trade and investment cooperation and effectively implementthe ASEAN-China free trade agreement (FTA), and work closely to finalisea regional comprehensive economic partnership (RCEP) in East Asia ,they said.
They will consider a proposal on upgrading their FTA, aiming for 500 billion USD in two-way trade by 2015.
The ministers underscored the need to further connectivity,especially in infrastructure, and boost cultural and people-to-peopleexchanges, while fostering links among enterprises, strengtheningmaritime cooperation and coordination in coping with non-traditionalsecurity issues such as climate change, natural disasters, pandemics,transnational crimes, energy and food security.
They highlighted the necessity to work more closely to be well-preparedfor the 16 th ASEAN-China Summit in October, including the drafting of ajoint statement to fuel and guide the development of their strategicpartnership in the future.
The meeting also gavemuch space to underline the significance of maintaining peace,stability and maritime security, safety and freedom, as well as thepeaceful settlement of disputes in the East Sea based on the 1982 UnitedNations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS), the full andeffective implementation of the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in theEast Sea (COC) and the soon formation of a Code of Conduct (COC) in theEast Sea.
The ministers applauded the decisionto conduct the first official consultations at the Senior Officials’Meeting (SOM) between ASEAN and China on COC scheduled for next monthin Suzhou , China .
Accordingly, ASEAN willshare its stance on the need to promptly build a binding COC stipulatingcomprehensive principles to ensure peace and prevent conflicts as wellas the behaviours of each party on the basis of complying withinternational law and the 1982 UNCLOS.
During theconference and meetings between ASEAN foreign ministers and ChinesePremier Li Keqiang and State Councillor Yang Jiechi, the Chinese sideaffirmed its consistent policy of attaching importance to buildingfriendly neighbourliness and mutual beneficial cooperation with ASEAN.
It gives high priority to ASEAN in its foreign policy and supports thegroup’s central role in the regional architecture. It also pledges tocontinue backing ASEAN in its efforts to build community, implementregional connectivity and narrow development gap.
China reiterates its policy of peaceful and friendly development,creating a momentum for the development of the region as a whole andASEAN in particular.
Referring to exchanges, Chinaproposes the joint research of upgrading the ASEAN-China FTA, setting upthe Asian Credit Transfer System, Monetary Fund, and Financial andInvestment Fund in hope to fund infrastructure projects.
China affirms to continue cooperating with ASEAN in ensuring peace inthe East Sea and fully implementing the DOC towards the COC, thusturning the East Sea into a sea of reliance, cooperation anddevelopment.
Attending the meeting, Foreign MinisterPham Binh Minh made positive assessments on the intensive and extensivedevelopment of ASEAN-China cooperation.
That China hasbecome ASEAN’s first strategic partner, the first one joining theTreaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC) and thenegotiations to establish the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area symbolises thespecial relations between the two sides, laying an important foundationfor ceaseless development and great achievements in bilateralcooperation.
The two sides should continue tostrengthen cooperation, mutual understanding and trust via consultationand dialogue, the FM stressed.
China and ASEAN alsoneed to cooperate in building an ASEAN-centred regional architecturesuitable for peace, stability and development by promoting the East Asiaconnectivity process, coordination in dealing with non-traditionalsecurity challenges and enhancing maritime security cooperation, headded.
He said the two sides should support thestrengthening of ASEAN-China connectivity, especially in infrastructuredevelopment and transport connectivity, including the promotion ofMekong basin cooperation and the initiative “Two corridors, one economicbelt”.
They should also foster cultural andpeople-to-people exchanges and boost tourism, economic, trade andinvestment cooperation by maximizing mechanisms such as ASEAN-China FreeTrade Area, ASEAN-China Centre, and China-ASEAN Expo, Minh noted.
The FM stressed the importance of maintaining peace, stability andmaritime security, safety and freedom in the East Sea, welcoming thepast progress between China and ASEAN.
He said thatthe full and effective implementation of DOC and the early establishmentof COC will contribute to enhancing trust and ensuring peace, stabilityand security in the region.
On this occasion, ForeignMinister Minh held a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi,during which both sides spoke highly of the important outcomes of thevisits made by the two countries’ high-ranking leaders and newdevelopments in their relations.
They affirmed thatthe two sides will continue working together to effectively realisetheir leaders’ common perceptions, and an action programme onimplementing the Vietnam-China comprehensive strategic cooperativepartnership in all fields.
They agreed to coordinatein organising the second Vietnam-China Youth Festival in Guangxi in late2013 and soon kick off construction of the Vietnam-China FriendshipPalace and establish a cultural centre in each country.
The two FMs also affirmed close coordination between the two sides toensure the success of the meeting between Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dungand his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang on the sidelines of theChina-ASEAN Expo in Nanning next month, contributing to furtherdeveloping the two countries’ relations.
Regarding theASEAN-China relationship, FM Minh spoke highly of this specialASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, saying the ASEAN-China strategicpartnership has reaped many positive achievements over the past decade,bringing practical benefits to both sides.
He affirmed that Vietnam will continue working closely with the Chinese side to further strengthen this partnership.
He also expressed his hope that through this special meeting, ASEANand China will review their cooperation over the past 10 years, as wellas work out directions to develop bilateral relationship in the time tocome.-VNA
