ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn (R) meets with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Jakarta, Indonesia, February 22, 2023. (Photo: Xinhua/VNA) Jakarta (VNA) - ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn on February 22 called for joint efforts to push the ASEAN-China comprehensive strategic partnership to a new high.
At a meeting with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Jakarta, the ASEAN official said the relationship between the two sides has been strategically upgraded, and cooperation deepened with growing mutual trust.
For his part, Qin Gang said ASEAN is one of the most successful regional cooperation organisations, and its position has become even more important against the background of profound changes on the global and regional landscape, adding the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership is developing solid momentum.
He noted that this year marks the 10th anniversary of building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
He affirmed that China is willing to continue to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides and keep supporting the ASEAN Secretariat in jointly promoting new achievements in China-ASEAN cooperation and East Asia cooperation while supporting the maintenance of ASEAN's central role.
The two sides will work together to push for new progress in the consultation on the Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea.
Qin Gang stressed that China will continue to regard ASEAN as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, firmly support ASEAN unity and the bloc's community building, and consolidate the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership./.
