Joining hands for cooperation, marching towards the future

Congratulating the complete success of the 15th China-ASEAN Dialog Relations

Staff Commentator

The summit meeting in memory of the 15th China-ASEAN Dialog Relations was held in Nanning city, Guangxi Autonomous Region of China. Leaders from China and ASEAN member countries gathered at the meeting, reviewing and summarizing the development history of the China-ASEAN friendly relationship and the successful experience over the past 15 years, looking into the future and planning the future development of the bilateral relationship. This summit meeting is a great gathering that carries forward the past, breaks ground for the future and has historic significance. This summit meeting will certainly lead the China-ASEAN relationship into a period of powerful, in-depth and vigorous development.

The Joint Statement of China-ASEAN Commemorative Summit [hereafter referred to as the joint statement] signed by the leaders at the summit meeting pointed out the direction for future development of the China-ASEAN relationship. The joint statement noted that the peace and prosperity-oriented China-ASEAN strategic partnership has not only effectively advanced the development of each side and has brought about tangible benefits to the people of the two sides but has also made important contributions to heightening the peace, stability and prosperity of the region and even of the world. The joint statement noted that leaders at the summit meeting agreed to further enhance mutual trust and understanding and match the depth and breadth of cooperation with the objective of our strategic partnership to further enhance peace, development and prosperity of the region. In order to meet this objective, the leaders are determined to strengthen political and security cooperation, social and cultural cooperation, economic cooperation as well as regional and international cooperation.

The China-ASEAN Dialog process began in 1991. Through 15 years of joint efforts, the political confidence of the both sides has been obviously strengthened, achievements in economic and trade cooperation have been prominent, construction of free trade areas [FTA] has been progressing steadily and cooperation in other areas has been continuously expanded and enhanced. Over the past 15 years, the China-ASEAN relationship has been advanced year after year, has seen a new situation year after year and has now entered into a period of the best development to date. In terms of politics, China, as a large country in the region, took the lead in entering the "Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia" and established a peace and prosperity-oriented strategic partnership with ASEAN. In terms of economics, China and ASEAN are important trade partners to each other and the bilateral trade volume has been surging 20 percent annually. The two sides are determined to focus cooperation in the following 10 fields and have effective cooperation mechanisms: agriculture, the information industry, human resource development, mutual investment, the development of the Mekong River drainage area, transportation, energy, culture, tourism and public health. In terms of international affairs and regional affairs, the coordination and cooperation between China and ASEAN have been further enhanced.

At present, East Asia is in an important period of development. Seeking peace, accelerating development and planning cooperation are common wishes of the people of all countries and are where the future of East Asian countries lies. In light of the overall background of rapid development in economic globalization, regional economic integration has also become the dominating trend for the development of East Asia. The Chinese government has persevered with the road of peaceful development, has upheld our policy of "friendship and partnership with our neighboring countries" and has attached great importance to strengthening friendliness and regional cooperation with neighboring countries. ASEAN member countries are close neighbors to China. Reinforcing the strategic partnership with ASEAN and accelerating a comprehensive cooperation on a win-win basis is in line with the development trend of the times, conforms to the fundamental interests of the people both in China and in ASEAN member countries and is a basic diplomatic policy that China will adhere to in the long run.

Peaceful development is the prerequisite for developing the China-ASEAN relationship, equality and mutual trust is the basis for this development, win-win cooperation is the goal for this development and the people's support is the driving force for this development. China-ASEAN cooperation is based on mutual respects instead of mutual confrontation, is based on mutual trust instead of mutual suspicion, is based on cooperation instead of unfair competition and is based on win-win result instead of bringing one to prosperity at the cost of decline of the other side. This cooperation is not closed, not exclusive and not oriented at any special party. China supports ASEAN to play a dominating role in East Asian cooperation, to continuously strengthen exchanges and references with other regions and to push East Asia into prosperity and progress side by side with the rest of the world.

This summit meeting will become an opportunity to propel the China-ASEAN Dialog Relations into the second 15-year period. Looking into the future, this period will the phase in which China will comprehensively construct a well-off society [xiaokang shehui], ASEAN will accelerates effort to construct a ASEAN community and the China-ASEAN relationship will develop in leaps and bounds. If we persevere with equality, mutual trust and win-win cooperation, work in a down to earth manner and take the initiative to make further progress, it is certain that the China-ASEAN strategic partnership will continuously develop and will be heightened and that China and ASEAN, as members of the harmonious family of East Asia, will see a more beautiful future. Let's join hands and work together in write a new chapter of the China-ASEAN relationship!