China News Service, Beijing, April 3 (Xing Chong and Li Jingze) At the invitation of Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Singapore’s Foreign Minister Vivian, Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin, Indonesian Foreign Minister Leitno and Philippine Foreign Minister Lochin March 31 Visit to China on April 2.
This is another face-to-face diplomatic interaction between China and ASEAN countries after Wang Yi's first visit to Myanmar, Indonesia, Brunei and the Philippines at the beginning of this year.
From the joint construction of the “Belt and Road” to the anti-epidemic cooperation, from the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to the promotion of the “South China Sea Code of Conduct” consultation, the cooperation between China and ASEAN countries that have entered the "year of standing" is "frequent, frequent visits," The more you go, the closer you are."
Observers believe that in the current era when the epidemic situation of the century and the century of change are superimposed and turbulent, the frequent interaction between China and ASEAN is commendable and will help improve the quality and efficiency of cooperation in the post-epidemic period.
Where is the "pro"? Speaking from the reception
China and ASEAN countries are connected by land and sea, have similar customs and cultures.
For thousands of years of mutual exchanges, the two sides have been deeply integrated in various fields such as humanities, economy and trade.
Fujian is the starting point of the "Maritime Silk Road" and the core area of the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road".
Looking back in history or looking at the present, Fujian is closely related to ASEAN countries.
For example, the visiting Singaporean Foreign Minister Wei Wen, whose mother is from Xinghua, Fujian, is his first visit to a non-ASEAN country since the epidemic.
Wei Wenfu, who has a deep connection with Fujian, became a "tea salesman" as soon as he arrived, and posted an article on social media to introduce Wuyishan tea, especially the "Dahongpao".
Watching and helping each other under the epidemic has allowed China and ASEAN countries to "keep close to each other": from medical supplies to diagnosis and treatment technology, from vaccine supply to vaccine technology, from green channels to fast channels, China and ASEAN countries' anti-epidemic cooperation is based on regional cooperation. At the forefront.
"We are all one family." Hishammuddin, the Malaysian Foreign Minister, kindly called Wang Yi the "big brother" in Chinese, and Wang Yi responded by saying "we are brothers."
During this visit, the warmth and warmth of the warm atmosphere when the Chinese and Malaysian foreign ministers met with reporters made people feel the friendship and warmth between China and Malaysia. It was a vivid portrayal of the close relations between China and ASEAN countries.
Xu Liping, a researcher at the Institute of Asia-Pacific and Global Strategies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and director of the Southeast Asian Studies Center, called the cooperation between China and ASEAN countries "primitive cooperation." The "endogenous motivation" for cooperation with neighboring countries.
In 2020, ASEAN has become China's largest trading partner with 4.74 trillion yuan in imports and exports for the first time, and it is also the first time that the two sides have become each other's largest trading partners.
Observations believe that in the context of the impact of the epidemic on the global economy, China-ASEAN trade volume has grown against the trend, which further reflects the "firmness" of endogenous power.
Where is the "Li" headed? Focus on upgrading
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations between China and ASEAN, and the cooperation between the two sides has entered the "year of standing".
Observers believe that the 30-year cooperation practice between China and ASEAN shows that "crisis-driven" is an important feature of cooperation between the two sides. The more we face common challenges, the greater the motivation for cooperation.
"Both sides have common interests in political stability, economic development, social progress and other fields, and they can often turn real challenges into opportunities for cooperation." said Gao Fei, deputy dean of the China Foreign Affairs University.
Where is the "establishment" heading in the next 30 years?
The meeting gave a clear answer: "Elevate China-ASEAN relations to a new level" and "build a higher-level strategic partnership."
Specifically, in response to the prolonged challenge of the epidemic, it is necessary to strengthen cooperation in the field of vaccines to benefit more people from ASEAN countries; explore the development of mutual recognition of health codes to achieve a wider and more efficient personnel flow; promote high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" ", to strengthen cooperation in the construction of digital economy, big data, cloud computing, 5G, and smart cities.
The outside world has especially noticed that the "Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement" (RCEP) is the key word of the talks.
Whether it is Singapore’s foreign minister’s mention that “the two sides are actively promoting the signing of a regional comprehensive economic partnership agreement”, or the Indonesian foreign minister’s statement of “willing to negotiate comprehensive economic and trade cooperation arrangements with China and achieve early gains” and China Macheng’s “release of regional free trade and economic integration” The consensus of "dividends" reflects the determination of China and ASEAN to add to cooperation in the post-epidemic period.
The consensus reached during the talks on the full implementation of the "Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea" and the acceleration of consultations on the "Code of Conduct in the South China Sea" can be interpreted as an "upgrade of quality" at the level of strategic mutual trust.
"Agreeing on a binding'standard' is in line with the expectations of all parties. At present, all parties are required to eliminate interference from external forces and focus on'standards' negotiations involving the interests of the region, so as to truly turn the South China Sea into a sea of peace, a sea of friendship, and a sea of cooperation. Sea." Xu Liping said.
The epidemic has once again proved that all countries in the world share weal and woe. The improvement and upgrading of cooperation between China and ASEAN countries is the purpose of China's neighborly foreign policy of good-neighborly friendship and pragmatic cooperation, and it is also a firm practice of the concept of a community with a shared future for mankind.
"The multilateralism that China emphasizes is always based on international law and is oriented towards cooperation. The construction of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice, and win-win cooperation is in line with the trend of world development and has implications for other countries." Gao Fei said that China strengthens Relations with neighboring countries are by no means a "gang formation". It has long surpassed the zero-sum game of traditional geopolitics and is a beneficial promotion for the improvement of global governance.
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