China, ASEAN agree to build higher level of strategic partnership

Xinhua Published: 2017-08-06 21:17:59
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China and ASEAN nations on Sunday expressed   satisfaction with the achievements made in their strategic partnership during   the last 15 years and agreed to further enhance cooperation.
Chinese   Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his counterparts from the Association of Southeast   Asian Nations (ASEAN) made the pledge at a meeting in Manila.
Wang   congratulated ASEAN for its 50th anniversary, saying China is happy for ASEAN's   development and achievements while expressing best wishes for ASEAN's better and   faster development in the next 50 years.

File photo of Wang Yi. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

File photo of Wang Yi. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

As an important regional   organization, ASEAN has become a major force in promoting regional integration   and maintaining regional peace and stability, Wang said.
China has always   taken ASEAN as a priority in its foreign diplomacy and has always supported   ASEAN in taking a central role in regional cooperation and a bigger role in   dealing with international and regional affairs, Wang said.
As China and   ASEAN celebrate the 15th anniversary of strategic partnership next year, both   sides are also facing a critical point to bring the ties to a higher level, Wang   said, calling for future actions to build a higher level China-ASEAN strategic partnership and a closer community of common destiny of China and ASEAN.
Wang outlined a seven-point proposal on future China-ASEAN   cooperation put forward by the Chinese side.
First, to formulate a 2030   Vision for China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership as a blueprint to guide future   relations.
Second, to synergize the Belt and Road Initiative and the   Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity, and further expand the scope and dimension   for bilateral cooperation.
Third, to designate 2018 as China-ASEAN Year   of Innovation, give full play to the complementarity of innovation-driven   development of China and innovation-driven growth of ASEAN, and launch the   upgrading of China-ASEAN cooperation. 
Fourth, to accelerate the   implementation of the outcomes on upgrading China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and   jointly safeguard the global free trade regime.
Fifth, to fully implement   the China-ASEAN Joint Statement on Production Capacity Cooperation and boost   each other's industrialization process.
Sixth, to build new pillars for   people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, ensure the success of the   China-ASEAN Tourism Cooperation Year, and issue a joint statement on tourism cooperation so as to consolidate public support and social foundation for   bilateral relations. 
Seventh, to expedite negotiations on the Regional   Comprehensive Economic Partnership and lead the process of regional integration   together.
Foreign ministers of ASEAN nations congratulated China on the   success of the recent Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, thanked   China for its support on ASEAN's community building, recognized the positive   progress of ASEAN-China ties in the past year and agreed with the depth and   achievements of the China-ASEAN relations.
The foreign ministers also   expressed the anticipation that as China and ASEAN celebrate the 15th   anniversary of the establishment of strategic partnership next year, the two sides would strengthen strategic synergy, deepen cooperation in economy, trade,  innovation, connectivity, tourism and other areas so as to bring the strategic  partnership to a new level.
On the South China Sea disputes, the foreign   ministers fully acknowledged the positive momentum in the past year, welcomed   the approval of the framework of the Code of Conduct (COC), and looked forward   to further consultations on the COC under the framework of a full and effective   implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).
Before the meeting, 10+1 foreign ministers also signed the   amended version of the Memorandum of Understanding on Establishing China-ASEAN Center.


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