ASEAN leaders and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao met in Hanoi on October 29 to review and set out future directions of the ASEAN-China dialogue relations and to exchange views on regional and international issues of common interest.

As the Country Coordinator, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung highlighted recent substantive achievements in the ASEAN-China strategic dialogue which is considered one of the most dynamic and comprehensive external relations of ASEAN.

Dung stressed that the ASEAN-China relations are of special importance to peace, security and development in Southeast Asia and East Asia . He called on the two sides to define orientations and practical measures to help their strategic partnership develop in a more effective manner.

ASEAN and China ’s leaders attached importance to and expressed their commitment to further strengthening the strategic partnership and comprehensive cooperation.

The two sides noted with satisfaction the fine achievements in implementing the 2005-2010 Plan of Action to realise the Joint Declaration on ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity, and agreed to adopt the new Plan of Action for the 2011-2015 period.

ASEAN highly valued China ’s support for its community building efforts and central role in regional cooperation processes.

The leaders discussed ways and means to commemorate the 20 th anniversary of the ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations in 2011, which has been defined as the ASEAN-China Exchange and Friendship Year.

They also welcomed the implementation of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) and other related agreements starting from January 1, 2010.

China has become ASEAN’s largest trading partner with two-way trade amounting to over 200 billion USD.

The two sides agreed to promote effective implementation of agreements within the framework of ACFTA towards the goal of increasing two-way trade to 500 billion USD and China ’s investment into ASEAN to 10 billion USD by 2015.

The two sides will also work to put in place projects using support from China ’s Credit Facility worth 15 billion USD and the ASEAN-China Investment Cooperation Fund worth 10 billion USD as well as those initiatives put forth by Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao this time, focusing on promoting infrastructure development and regional connectivity.

ASEAN and China also agreed to strengthen cooperation in developing the Mekong Sub-region within the frameworks of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS), the ASEAN Mekong Basin Development Cooperation (AMBDC), the Mekong River Commission (MRC) and Ayeyarwady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation (ACMECS).

The leaders also adopted the ASEAN-China Leaders’ Joint Statement on Sustainable Development, reaffirming their strong commitment to strengthening comprehensive cooperation towards a balanced and sustained development in the future, especially in effectively addressing and dealing with emerging challenges, namely environment, climate change, natural disasters, energy security and food security.

The leaders of ASEAN countries and China underscored the importance of continued dialogue and cooperation for peace, security and development in the region. The two sides agreed to effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and enhance cooperation toward the adoption of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), for peace, stability and cooperation in the region while disputes shall be settled peacefully in conformity with international laws, including the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as intensifying cooperation to address regional and international issues of common interest, particularly those non-traditional security challenges facing the region.

On this occasion, the leaders witnessed the launching of the ASEAN-China website that provides updated information on the ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations.

In conclusion, the Chairman issued a Chairman’s Statement on the outcome and decisions of the 13 th ASEAN-China Summit.

On the same day, the ASEAN and Chinese Economic Ministers signed the Second Protocol to Amend the Agreement on Trade in Goods of the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Co-operation between ASEAN and China . Representatives of Chinese and ASEAN Banks concluded the Framework Agreement to Establish a China-ASEAN Inter-Bank Association./.