China News Agency, Beijing, April 4 (Reporter Zhang Su) The beautiful scenery in the south of the Yangtze River and the small town Tunxi at the foot of Mount Huangshan witnessed another "close contact" between China and ASEAN countries.

　　From March 31 to April 3, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Retno, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Tun, Philippine Foreign Minister Locsin, and Myanmar Foreign Minister U Na Maung Loon in Tunxi respectively.

　　Thirty years ago, China and ASEAN established dialogue relations. Over the past 30 years, the two sides have embarked on a bright road of neighborly dating and win-win cooperation.

Scholars of international issues said that in the first year of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership, the foreign ministers of the four countries were invited to visit China to deal with the uncertainties of the world by getting along with neighbors. This can be observed from three perspectives.

　　——Faced with the uncertainty of the global pandemic of the new crown pneumonia epidemic, China and ASEAN countries have chosen to deepen anti-epidemic cooperation.

　　Since the outbreak of the epidemic, China has provided ASEAN countries with a solution to the "urgent need" of the new crown vaccine through procurement, assistance and other channels.

On April 3, Locsin described China's vaccine as "everyone's 'lifeboat'" during the meeting, and said that "the Philippine side firmly opposes the argument that smears China for 'vaccine diplomacy'".

　　The technical exchanges and cooperation between China and ASEAN countries around vaccines are even more recognized.

The Sino-Myanmar cooperation new crown vaccine was officially put into production in Yangon recently. In the face of Winna Maung Lung, Wang Yi specifically mentioned the need to "give full play to the positive effect of the cooperation in vaccine filling", and the Myanmar side expressed gratitude to China for its "great support".

In another meeting, Wang Yi mentioned "helping Indonesia to build a regional vaccine production center", Retno thanked for this and said "willing to strengthen bilateral cooperation in medical care and connectivity".

　　Working together to fight the epidemic, China-ASEAN economy and trade have also achieved growth against the trend.

In 2021, China's imports and exports to ASEAN will be 5.67 trillion yuan, an increase of 19.7% over 2020.

Xu Liping, director of the Southeast Asian Studies Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that during the epidemic, China and ASEAN became each other's largest trading partners for the first time, reflecting the strong potential of each other's economic and trade cooperation and investment.

　　The scholar who has been concerned about the region for a long time pointed out that the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which came into effect in January this year, has further released trade and investment dividends. The cooperation between China and ASEAN countries offers broad prospects.

　　——In the face of the "negative spillover effect" of the Ukraine issue, China and ASEAN countries jointly spoke out and proposed a joint response.

　　In Tunxi, after the phone call in mid-March, Wang Yi and Retno exchanged views again on the situation in Ukraine; when the foreign ministers of China and Myanmar were "face-to-face", Winna Maung Lone was deeply worried that the drastic changes in the current international situation would aggravate Myanmar's economic difficulties. Wang Yi emphasized that "the negative spillover effects of the Ukraine crisis should be jointly dealt with"; China and Thailand jointly put forward a "four-point appeal" on the Ukraine issue, such as "restraining the spreading negative spillover effects and maintaining the momentum of global economic recovery".

　　Observers said that the situation in Ukraine has brought important inspiration to ASEAN countries, especially that "to maintain peace and stability, we must follow the correct security concept."

The foreign ministers of the four ASEAN countries are "getting together" to visit China. Several talks involve regional hotspot issues. Judging from the official information, peace is still a strong voice.

　　This year marks the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. The foreign ministers of China and the Philippines exchanged views on the South China Sea issue.

Wang Yi mentioned that "in particular, we should prevent improper measures from interfering with or even damaging the relations between the two countries and the stability of the South China Sea." Locsin responded, "The Philippine side is willing to strengthen communication with the Chinese side and make joint efforts."

Myanmar is the co-chair of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

Wang Yi told Winna Maung Lwin that he expects Myanmar to play a role in advancing the consultation process on the "Code of Conduct in the South China Sea".

　　Sun Chenghao, an assistant researcher at the Center for Strategic and Security Studies at Tsinghua University, analyzed that, witnessing Europe's fall into conflict, Asia-Pacific countries, including ASEAN, cherish the hard-won regional peace and stability, and resist the introduction of camp confrontation in Asia to create turmoil and tension.

　　——In the face of some countries building exclusive alliances that exacerbate the uncertainty of the global future, China and ASEAN countries join hands to defend world peace and development.

　　This time last year, the foreign ministers of Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia also "organized a delegation" to visit China.

However, against the backdrop of the indefinite postponement of the US-ASEAN special summit, China's "spring diplomacy" this time has drawn special attention.

U.S. media commented that Beijing’s meeting with senior ASEAN officials highlighted the challenges the Biden administration faces in garnering support in the region.

　　However, in Sun Chenghao's view, ASEAN countries are extremely repulsive to take sides in the game of major powers, and the United States' attempt to create an exclusive alliance by promoting the "Indo-Pacific strategy" is not in line with the vision of regional countries.

　　Compared with Washington's rhetoric, the cooperation advocated by China and ASEAN countries is open and inclusive.

China and Thailand, which have established the tenth anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership, are discussing how to deepen the Lancang-Mekong pragmatic cooperation. plan".

　　"As long as it is conducive to regional prosperity and development, China and ASEAN countries will support it," said Liu Qing, vice president of the China Institute of International Studies.

He further pointed out that China, Thailand and Indonesia will successively hold three important conferences with global influence in BRICS, APEC and G20 within this year.

This meeting, to enhance mutual understanding and support, is expected to "inject more positive energy and stability into the world".

　　Xu Liping said that introducing some important areas of the global development initiative into the existing cooperation framework of China and ASEAN countries will also inject new impetus into world peace, stability, prosperity and development.

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