Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 12th
Speech at the 23rd China-ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting
(November 12, 2020, Beijing)
Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China
Dear Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc,
Dear colleagues:
It is a pleasure to meet you again.
Thanks to the Vietnamese government and Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc for their great work in preparing the meeting.
I look forward to an in-depth exchange of views with colleagues today on deepening China-ASEAN cooperation and jointly seeking future development plans.
This year is a special year. The 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.
In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Third China International Import Expo, President Xi Jinping pointed out that China is willing to work with other countries to create opportunities in opening up and solve problems in cooperation.
After the outbreak, China and ASEAN took the lead in developing regional anti-epidemic cooperation. My colleagues and I have met online many times and conducted in-depth communication and discussion on addressing current challenges.
With the joint efforts of both parties, economic and trade cooperation has overcome the impact of the epidemic and achieved stable growth.
In the first three quarters of this year, China-ASEAN trade totaled 481.81 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 5.0% year-on-year, and ASEAN became China’s largest trading partner; China’s direct investment in the ASEAN industry reached 10.72 billion U.S. dollars, an increase of 76.6% year-on-year, which fully demonstrated both parties. A solid foundation and development potential for cooperation.
These achievements have further confirmed that China-ASEAN relations have reached maturity and stability after nearly 30 years of ups and downs.
Among the ASEAN dialogue partners, China has created a number of “firsts”: the first to join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, the first to establish a strategic partnership with ASEAN, and the first to negotiate the establishment of a free trade area with ASEAN. This clearly supports ASEAN’s central position in East Asian regional cooperation.
The reason why China-ASEAN cooperation can maintain a good momentum and play an important role in regional stability and prosperity is inseparable from our joint efforts:
The first is to adhere to good-neighborly friendship and take the road of unity and development.
China and ASEAN are eternal neighbors and close partners, and their people have a profound friendship.
Whether facing two financial crises, major natural disasters such as SARS and tsunamis, or the sudden impact of the epidemic this year, we can uphold a sense of community with a shared future, help each other and overcome difficulties together.
The second is to adhere to mutually beneficial cooperation and follow the path of common development.
China-ASEAN cooperation is mutually beneficial, open and inclusive.
We regard each other’s development as an important opportunity, adhere to integrated and linked development, align development plans, strengthen interconnection, advocate multilateralism and free trade, and continue to expand the pie of common interests, which not only achieves our own development, but also injects stable development of the regional and global economy Strong power.
The third is to adhere to dialogue and consultation and follow the path of peaceful development.
Peace and stability are the prerequisite for development and prosperity.
It is inevitable that there will be bumps and bumps between neighbors, as long as they are properly handled, they will not interfere with the overall development.
We unanimously advocate mutual respect, seeking common ground while reserving differences, and resolving differences and disputes through friendly consultations, thus creating a peaceful and stable regional environment.
The fourth is to adhere to the people-oriented approach and take the road of coordinated development.
We always put the fundamental interests of the approximately 2 billion people in China and the 11 ASEAN countries first, care for lives, care for people's livelihood, help each other in the fight against the epidemic, and work together to protect the lives and health of people in all countries.
We promote pragmatic cooperation that benefits people's livelihoods, and effectively guarantees and enhances people's livelihood and welfare.
Dear colleagues!
Currently, the epidemic is still raging around the world, the recovery of the world economy is difficult and tortuous, protectionism and unilateralism are on the rise, the global governance system and multilateral mechanisms are under impact, and the economic and social development of the international region is facing severe challenges.
It is encouraging that the situation of epidemic prevention and control in East Asia is generally stable and improving. Countries are resuming work and production in an orderly manner under the background of normalization of epidemic prevention and control, economic and social development has recovered steadily, and positive factors have continued to increase.
Not long ago, the Fifth Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China deliberated and approved the "Proposals of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the Fourteenth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development and Long-Term Goals for 2035", stating that China will implement the new development concept. Promote high-quality development and accelerate the construction of a new development pattern.
China will continue to expand domestic demand while advancing a high-level opening to the outside world. This will help China and ASEAN markets better connect, stimulate more endogenous motivation, and help regional economic recovery and sustainable development.
As China's close economic and trade cooperation partner, ASEAN will benefit first.
China always regards ASEAN as the priority direction of its neighboring diplomacy, firmly supports the construction of the ASEAN community, firmly supports ASEAN's strengthening of its central position in regional cooperation, and firmly supports ASEAN's greater role in building an open and inclusive regional structure.
China is willing to work with ASEAN to consolidate good-neighborliness and friendship, adhere to multilateralism and free trade, to implement the "China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership Vision 2030" as the main line, and the newly formulated "Implementation of China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity" The Joint Declaration’s Action Plan (2021-2025) will focus on promoting cooperation between the two sides in various fields to achieve more pragmatic results, strive to promote their respective development and overall regional economic recovery, and jointly maintain peace and stability in the region and the world.
To this end, I would like to make a few suggestions:
The first is to work together to defeat the epidemic and enhance public health cooperation.
The global epidemic is showing a long-term trend, and vaccine research and development is the key to thoroughly defeating the epidemic.
China is actively discussing vaccine research and development and production cooperation with many ASEAN countries. After the new crown vaccine is developed and put into use, it will actively consider the needs of ASEAN countries and take practical actions to promote the availability and affordability of the vaccine.
China is willing to continue to organize the "Friends of Vaccine" event through the ASEAN Beijing Committee and other channels to promote vaccine information communication and cooperation.
China is willing to work with ASEAN to launch the China-ASEAN Public Health Emergency Liaison Network at an early date, work together to implement the "China-ASEAN Public Health Cooperation Initiative", host the third China-ASEAN Health Cooperation Forum, and carry out more practical cooperation, including continued implementation of health. The Silk Road talent training program, organized China-ASEAN public health executives training courses and other projects to assist ASEAN countries in strengthening capacity building.
China supports ASEAN in establishing an anti-epidemic fund and emergency medical supplies reserve pool, and is willing to take the lead in promoting the establishment of a 10+3 emergency medical supplies reserve center to connect resources from all parties and optimize the allocation and use of regional emergency resources.
We will continue to support the role of the WHO, strengthen international cooperation and joint prevention and control, and promote the construction of a human health community.
The second is to focus on economic and trade cooperation to promote regional economic recovery.
China actively supports ASEAN to formulate and implement a comprehensive recovery framework and steadily promote economic restart.
China welcomes the signing of the "Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement" by all parties. This will be an important step for regional countries to take concrete actions to safeguard the multilateral trading system and build an open world economy. It is of iconic significance for deepening regional economic integration and stabilizing the global economy. .
China is willing to work with ASEAN to successfully host the commemorative activities for the 10th anniversary of the completion of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and issue a report on the implementation of the 10th anniversary of the Free Trade Area.
In the next step, we must further implement the "China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement" and upgrade the "Protocol" to enhance the level of regional trade and investment liberalization and facilitation.
China is willing to continue to expand imports of high-quality agricultural products from ASEAN, support Chinese companies to expand investment in ASEAN, and welcome ASEAN countries to actively participate in the 17th China-ASEAN Expo to share opportunities in the Chinese market.
China is willing to play the role of bilateral "fast channel" and jointly build a regional "fast channel" network.
The two sides should continue to deepen the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” initiative and the ASEAN development plan, convene a meeting of the China-ASEAN Connectivity Cooperation Committee as soon as possible to discuss priority areas and projects for cooperation, and steadily promote the China-Laos Railway, China-Thailand Railway, and Jakarta-Bandung High-speed Railway. project.
China has completed the US$1 billion start-up fundraising of the second phase of the China-ASEAN Investment Cooperation Fund. It will be officially established and put into operation as soon as possible to support the construction of major projects in the ASEAN infrastructure, energy resources and other fields, and provide support for regional economic and trade exchanges.
The third is to create highlights of the digital economy and foster new growth points for cooperation.
The epidemic further highlights the importance of the digital economy.
ASEAN has formulated the "ASEAN 2025 Digital Development Plan", and China is preparing a national informatization plan for the "14th Five-Year Plan".
The two parties should take the China-ASEAN Digital Economy Cooperation Year as an opportunity to connect digital development strategies, strengthen digital infrastructure construction and digital transformation, carry out innovative cooperation in e-commerce, smart cities, big data, 5G and other fields, and promote joint R&D and technology exchanges And human resource construction.
To this end, China welcomes the publication of the "China-ASEAN Initiative on Establishing a Digital Economy Partnership" at the meeting. The two sides should start to study and formulate the next step of cooperation plan to implement the initiative.
China has launched the "Global Data Security Initiative". The two sides can establish a cyber affairs dialogue mechanism to carry out experience exchange and capacity building cooperation in cyber security and digital governance.
The two sides should publish as soon as possible the "China-ASEAN Action Plan for Building a Closer Future-oriented Scientific and Technological Innovation Partnership (2021-2025)".
China hopes to institutionalize the China-ASEAN Science and Technology Ministerial Meeting and is willing to hold the second ministerial meeting in 2021 to conduct in-depth communication and exchanges on bilateral cooperation in science and technology innovation.
The fourth is to promote sustainable development and enhance the ability to resist risks.
Achieving sustainable economic and social development is our common goal.
China welcomes the designation of next year as the "China-ASEAN Sustainable Development Cooperation Year" and is willing to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN in areas such as ecological and environmental protection, disaster prevention and mitigation, climate change, and poverty reduction.
China will successfully host the China-ASEAN Forum on Social Development and Poverty Reduction and share experience in digital poverty reduction with ASEAN countries.
China looks forward to the early adoption and implementation of the "China-ASEAN Environmental Cooperation Strategy and Action Plan (2021-2025)", and is willing to host the China-ASEAN Green and Sustainable Development High-level Forum, and welcomes ASEAN countries to actively participate in the "Biodiversity" to be held in Kunming next year. The 15th Conference of the Parties to the Convention.
China welcomes the establishment of the China-ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Disaster Management and looks forward to the first meeting as soon as possible.
China is willing to promote the establishment of a blue economic partnership with ASEAN, and both parties should implement it as soon as possible.
China is willing to make good use of resources such as the China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund to support early harvest projects in related fields.
Lancang-Mekong cooperation and China-ASEAN Eastern Growth Area cooperation are important components of China-ASEAN cooperation.
China is willing to promote the above-mentioned cooperation and the "New Land-Sea Corridor" to facilitate the integration of ASEAN and the balanced and coordinated development of the region.
The two sides should also continue to enrich cooperation in other areas.
To make up for shortcomings in defense and non-traditional security cooperation, China is willing to continue to hold defense ministers’ meetings, defense think tanks and friendly exchanges between young and middle-aged military officers, hold China-Southeast Asian maritime joint exercises, and promote the construction of defense direct telephone calls. The 2nd "Security for Development" China-ASEAN Ministerial Conference on Law Enforcement and Security Cooperation.
The two sides should continue to cooperate closely in the establishment and implementation of the two projects of China's assistance to ASEAN: "Building the Capacity for Enforcement of Rules of Origin" and "Building the ASEAN Tourism Digital Platform".
Next year, China will continue to add 10 million U.S. dollars to the China-ASEAN Cooperation Fund to support more cultural exchange brand projects such as the China-ASEAN Elite Scholarship, and provide impetus for building social and cultural cooperation as the third pillar of bilateral relations.
Dear colleagues!
The South China Sea is the common home of regional countries.
The current situation in the South China Sea is generally stable. This is due to the fact that China and ASEAN countries insist on proceeding from the overall situation, actively manage differences through the "dual track approach", strive to deepen cooperation, fully and effectively implement the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea", and steadily advance the "Code of Conduct in the South China Sea." Consultation.
Over the past 18 years, the "Declaration" has provided guidance for all parties to strengthen dialogue, enhance trust, and promote cooperation.
As an upgraded version of the "Declaration", the "Guidelines" will be more substantive, more effective, and more operable, providing further institutional guarantees for peace and stability in the South China Sea.
China's commitment to reaching the "Guidelines" at an early date is consistent and unwavering in its determination.
China calls on all parties to overcome the interference of the epidemic, actively innovate ideas, speed up the progress of consultations in a flexible and pragmatic manner, and show the international community that we have the wisdom and ability to manage the situation in the South China Sea and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.
China is willing to 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".
Maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea is the common aspiration of countries in the region, and resolving disputes through dialogue is the right way.
Dear colleagues!
Next year is the 30th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations between China and ASEAN. The friendly cooperation between the two sides is about to enter the "year of standing", and the development of the two sides is also in a critical period of connecting the past and the future.
China is willing to take the 30th anniversary as an opportunity to elevate the bilateral relationship to a "comprehensive strategic partner".
We look forward to uniting and cooperating with ASEAN countries, facing difficulties, opening up a brighter prospect for the China-ASEAN strategic partnership, and making greater contributions to regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.
thank you all.