Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, April 15 Telegram: Sharing the Wind and Rain and Overcoming the Difficulties: Interpreting the Results of the Special Meeting of Leaders from ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea to Fight the New Coronary Pneumonia Outbreak

Xinhua News Agency reporter

The ASEAN and China, Japan, and South Korea (10 + 3) special meeting on leaders in the fight against the New Coronary Pneumonia epidemic was held in the afternoon on the 14th. Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council attended the meeting in Beijing. This meeting is an important meeting held in East Asia on the joint response to the epidemic after the G20 leaders' special summit.

Experts here believe that the special meeting embodies the determination and willingness of East Asian countries to share the storms and overcome the difficulties. The series of consensus reached at the meeting not only focused on the present, but also pointed out the direction for post-epidemic cooperation, which will restore regional economic vitality and promote The accelerated development of regional integration has important positive significance.

Strengthen cooperation awareness

It is reported that foreign leaders and heads of international organizations attending the special meeting include leaders of ten ASEAN countries, South Korean President Wen Jae-in, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, World Health Organization Director-General Tan Desai, and ASEAN Secretary-General Lin Yuhui. The "ASEAN and China, Japan, and Korea Joint Statement on Leaders to Fight the New Coronary Pneumonia Outbreak" was announced. Wu Jianghao, director of the Asian Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that all parties reached consensus on three aspects: curbing the spread of the epidemic, improving the level of public health governance, and promoting East Asia's rapid economic recovery.

"These results demonstrate the cohesiveness of 10 + 3 countries to cope with the crisis." Huang Zaihao, director of the Global Security Cooperation Research Center of the Korea University of Foreign Studies, said that in the face of the unprecedented challenges posed by the epidemic, countries in East Asia increasingly felt the importance of the concept of a community of human destiny . On the one hand, building an “epidemic prevention community” is an urgent regional need; on the other hand, responding to the impact of the epidemic on the economy also requires countries to promote the construction of an “economic community”. These problems cannot be solved by the power of one country.

"One of the characteristics of countries in the East Asian region is uneven development, which determines that countries have different capabilities in epidemic prevention and control and resistance to economic shocks. Only by working together can we achieve better prevention and control effects." China International Studies Xiang Haoyu, a distinguished researcher at the Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies, said that from the joint statement, it can be seen that all parties have an urgent need to improve the public health governance capacity of the entire region.

Boost confidence in cooperation

At this special meeting, China proposed to "open a" fast track "for important and urgently needed personnel exchanges", "further reduce tariffs, remove barriers, facilitate trade, and promote investment", "support ASEAN to set up a special fund to fight the epidemic," and establish 10 + 3 Initiatives such as the Emergency Medical Material Reserve Center have received support and response from the leaders of the participating countries and are reflected in the joint statement.

Zhu Caihua, deputy director of the Foreign Trade Research Institute of the International Trade and Economic Cooperation Institute of the Ministry of Commerce, believes that the relevant measures will help to form a joint regional defense and joint control force, promote the smooth flow of industrial and supply chains in the region, and promote East Asia in anticipation of a global recession. Take the lead in achieving economic recovery growth.

According to data released by the General Administration of Customs on the 14th, China's foreign trade imports and exports rebounded in March from the previous two months. Banbang Suryono, chairman of the Asian Innovation Research Center of the Indonesian think tank, said that China's epidemic prevention and control has achieved positive results, and the orderly advancement of resumption of production has boosted ASEAN countries' confidence in the regional development prospects. "ASEAN became China's largest trading partner in the first quarter of this year and made history. Even in the worst period of the epidemic, the economic and trade relations between China and ASEAN are constantly strengthening, which will effectively promote the construction of the East Asian Community."

ASEAN and China, Japan, and South Korea have a good tradition of working together and helping each other. They have successfully dealt with two financial crises, the Indian Ocean tsunami, SARS, H1N1 influenza, Ebola and other infectious diseases. They have valuable categories and complementary advantages. Industrial chain and division of labor system. Analysts believe that these are all favorable factors for the cooperation of 10 + 3 countries to overcome the epidemic.

Guide the direction of cooperation

Analysts believe that through the joint statement, it can be seen that the parties not only focused on common and effective prevention and control of the epidemic, but also made plans for future regional economic cooperation. Such as reaffirming joint efforts to promote post-epidemic recovery, taking appropriate and necessary measures including stimulating the economy, close regional financial cooperation, and strengthening policy coordination. Taking the opportunity of responding to the epidemic situation, cooperation in East Asia is expected to be upgraded and upgraded in the "post-epidemic era".

"After the epidemic, some countries may carry out industrial chain transfers, which will pose a great challenge to the global economy." An Yuhua, a professor of finance at China ’s Graduate School of Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea, said that countries have to adopt an open and inclusive attitude in the economy Only by strengthening economic and trade and investment cooperation, giving play to their respective advantages, and maintaining the stability of the industrial chain can we effectively respond to the economic challenges brought about by the epidemic. "I hope that East Asia can set an example for the world in maintaining globalization."

Born in response to the Asian financial crisis, it has grown and expanded in dealing with various global and regional risks and challenges. Over the years, the 10 + 3 cooperation mechanism has been perfected and has become the most important platform for regional cooperation in East Asia.

"Handling together to deal with the crisis has always been an important driving force for regional cooperation in East Asia. There is an organic crisis, and humans will eventually defeat the new crown virus. I believe that after the outbreak, 10 + 3 cooperation will move to a higher level." Xiang Haoyu said. (Reporters Zhu Chao, Cheng Xin, Geng Xuepeng, Lu Rui, Liang Hui)