Li Keqiang attended the 23rd China-ASEAN Leaders' Meeting

　　Premier Li Keqiang attended the 23rd China-ASEAN (10+1) Leaders' Meeting in the Great Hall of the People on the afternoon of November 12.

ASEAN’s rotating presidency, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth, Philippine President Duterte, Brunei Sultan Hassanal, Indonesian President Joko, Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Lao Prime Minister Thong Lun, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Ampong Monila and Myanmar Minister of International Cooperation Jue Ding attended the meeting.

Li Keqiang and Nguyen Xuan Phuc co-chaired the meeting.

The meeting was held in video format.

　　Li Keqiang said that the sudden new crown pneumonia epidemic has severely affected the development and exchanges of countries around the world.

Whether it is fighting the epidemic or restoring the economy, we must follow the path of openness and cooperation.

President Xi Jinping pointed out at the opening ceremony of the 3rd China International Import Expo that China is willing to work with other countries to create opportunities in opening up and solve problems in cooperation.

　　Li Keqiang said that in the joint fight against the epidemic, China and ASEAN countries have watched and helped each other to overcome the difficulties.

The current epidemic is still raging around the world, the recovery of the world economy is difficult and tortuous, and protectionism and unilateralism are on the rise.

What is encouraging is that the overall situation of epidemic prevention and control in East Asia has stabilized and improved. China-ASEAN trade and investment have grown against the trend, and ASEAN has become China's largest trading partner.

China will implement the new development concept, promote high-quality development, accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, and promote high-level opening up while adhering to expanding domestic demand. This will help China and ASEAN markets better connect, and help regional economic recovery and development. sustainable development.

　　Li Keqiang emphasized that China always regards ASEAN as the priority direction of its neighboring diplomacy, firmly supports the construction of the ASEAN community, and firmly supports ASEAN's strengthening of its central position in regional cooperation.

China is willing to work with ASEAN to consolidate good-neighborliness and friendship, adhere to the path of peaceful development, adhere to multilateralism and free trade, promote bilateral cooperation in various fields to achieve more pragmatic results, strive to promote their respective development and the overall recovery of the regional economy, and jointly maintain peace in the region and the world. stable.

To this end, China makes the following suggestions:

　　The first is to work together to defeat the epidemic and enhance public health cooperation.

China will actively consider the demand for new crown vaccines from ASEAN countries and take concrete actions to promote the availability and affordability of vaccines.

Start the China-ASEAN Public Health Emergency Liaison Network as soon as possible and successfully host the 3rd China-ASEAN Health Cooperation Forum.

　　The second is to focus on economic and trade cooperation to promote regional economic recovery.

China welcomes the upcoming signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, and is willing to work with ASEAN to implement the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement and upgrade the Protocol, enhance the level of regional trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, and jointly build a regional "fast channel" The internet.

　　The third is to create highlights of the digital economy and foster new growth points for cooperation.

Taking the China-ASEAN Digital Economy Cooperation Year as an opportunity, we will connect digital development strategies and carry out innovative cooperation in multiple fields.

Exchange experience in fields such as digital governance, and jointly maintain data security and network security.

　　The fourth is to promote sustainable development and enhance the ability to resist risks.

Strengthen cooperation in areas such as ecological and environmental protection, disaster prevention and mitigation, climate change, and poverty reduction, promote the establishment of a blue economic partnership, and support early harvest projects in areas such as maritime cooperation.

　　Li Keqiang pointed out that the current situation in the South China Sea is generally stable. This is due to the efforts of China and ASEAN to deepen cooperation, actively manage differences, fully and effectively implement the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea", and steadily advance consultations on the "Code of Conduct in the South China Sea."

As an upgraded version of the "Declaration", the "Guidelines" will be more substantive, effective, and operable.

China's commitment to reaching the "Guidelines" at an early date is consistent and unwavering in its determination.

China calls on all parties to expedite the consultation process in a flexible and pragmatic manner, actively consider holding face-to-face consultations in China as soon as possible after the epidemic conditions permit, and promote the “Second Reading” of the “Guidelines” to show the international community that we have the wisdom and ability to manage and control the South China Sea. The situation and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.

　　The leaders of the participating ASEAN countries spoke highly of the development of ASEAN-China relations and believed that this is the strongest and most dynamic group of relations in the ASEAN partnership.

ASEAN countries appreciate China’s support for the construction of the ASEAN community and its central position in regional cooperation, thank China for its active contribution to ASEAN’s fight against the epidemic, welcome China to use vaccines as an international public product, and look forward to China’s continued support for ASEAN’s early victory over the epidemic and economic recovery.

Both ASEAN and China support multilateralism and rule-based free trade. We welcome the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement during this series of meetings. We are willing to work with China to further implement the ASEAN-China Free Trade Agreement and its protocols and strengthen development. Strategic alignment, advance cooperation in various fields such as people-to-people exchanges, digital economy, poverty reduction, food security, climate change, blue economy, cyber security, and continuously promote the development of the ASEAN-China partnership.

ASEAN positively appraised the important progress made in the second reading of the single text of the "Guidelines" and supports the early conclusion of an effective and substantive "Guidelines" to jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.

　　The meeting issued the "Action Plan for the Implementation of the Joint Declaration of China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity (2021-2025)" and the "China-ASEAN Initiative on Establishing a Digital Economic Partnership", declaring that 2021 will be China-ASEAN Year of Sustainable Development Cooperation.

The participating leaders also watched the video "China-ASEAN Fighting the Epidemic Together and Promoting Development Together".

　　State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the meeting.