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Interview: Healthy ASEAN-China ties important to world: Malaysian FM

Xinhua, April 26, 2015 Adjust font size:

The world will benefit from the healthy relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), said Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman.

"Since the establishment of ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership, our relations and economies have grown," Anifah told Xinhua in a recent interview ahead of the ASEAN Summit which starts on Sunday.

"In a global economy beset by uncertainties, we are now one of the few growth poles," He said.

Malaysia was the first ASEAN country to establish diplomatic ties with China. Anifah said his country supported China's proposal of a long-term framework of cooperation in a variety of areas when the two sides celebrated 10 years of the strategic partnership, and Malaysia believes that the strategic partnership will strengthen ASEAN-China relations and bring benefits to both ASEAN and China.

"Malaysia is of the view that healthy relations between ASEAN and China are not only important for ASEAN, but also for the wider world as well," said Anifah, stressing that both ASEAN and China should "continue to cast our eyes on the wider picture and on the broader horizon."

Anifah welcomed the China-initiated Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) which he said is expected to bring greater prosperity to the region in the medium and long-term as it targets the creation of growth through key infrastructure development.

"Large-scale connectivity infrastructure projects potentially go a long way toward developing ASEAN, which in turn will have a positive impact on economic growth throughout the entire region."

All 10 ASEAN countries are among AIIB's 57 founding members. A study by the Asian Development Bank in 2009 predicted that Asia needs 8 trillion U.S. dollars on infrastructure investment between 2010 and 2020.

On China's proposal of the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, Anifah said the concept is reminiscent of the ancient Silk Road which essentially relates to the sharing of wealth as well as commercial and economic benefits between countries along the trading routes.

As the chairman of ASEAN for 2015, Anifah said he would ensure the establishment ASEAN Economic community by the end of the year and to develop a Post-2015 Vision for further integration top Malaysia's ASEAN agenda.

With a theme of "People-Centered ASEAN", Malaysia also aims to steer ASEAN closer to its peoples, he said.

Anifah said the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community, which will bring about meaningful and positive changes to the livelihood and well-being of its 633 million population, marks the significant progress in the regional building efforts.

"Beyond 2015, ASEAN will see deeper and wider regional integration that would enable ASEAN to compete more effectively, and ensure its leadership role in the evolving regional architecture."

Anifah admitted that challenges remain for the regional integration, including the needs to reduce development gap among ASEAN members and to raise the public awareness on ASEAN.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Endi