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Interview: ASEAN hails China's support for regional, global integration

Xinhua, November 22, 2015 Adjust font size:

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) supported China's "Belt and Road" initiative aimed at bringing greater connectivity and opportunities to the region, ASEAN Secretary-General Le Luong Minh said on Sunday.

The initiative was in line with ASEAN's objective of increasing and enhancing connectivity not only among ASEAN countries, but also between ASEAN and dialogue partner countries, especially China, Minh said told Xinhua on the sidelines of the ongoing ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

"So increasing and enhancing connectivity among ASEAN countries, and connectivity between ASEAN and partner countries, especially with China, would be conducive to the further development of local investment, trade, tourism and overall economic cooperation, for ASEAN, for China and other countries concerned," he said.

"So ASEAN is supportive of the idea. Of course, they need to work on the specifics."

ASEAN and China would be looking to increase two-way trade and investment when they mark 25 years of bilateral relations next year.

When ASEAN and China celebrated 10 years of their strategic partnership two years ago, they had set targets, including two-way trade reaching a value of 500 billion U.S. dollars this year and 1 trillion U.S. dollars by 2020.

"By last year, 2014, two-way trade between ASEAN and China reached nearly 400 billion dollars. There has been a major increase, but at the same time it has not yet reached the target of 500 billion dollars by 2015," said Le.

They had now agreed to focus on the development of ASEAN-China investment, trade and economic relations to reach those targets.

"We have just finalized the new plan of action to implement the ASEAN-China partnership and this will be reflecting the interests and the determination and commitment of ASEAN and China in advancing our strategic partnership to new heights," he said.

The two sides still had many opportunities for economic, trade and investment cooperation, with the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community single market this year and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) moving toward an agreement next year.

The RCEP is a proposed collective free trade agreement between the 10 ASEAN member states and the six countries with which ASEAN have individual free trade agreements - Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

China and ASEAN have ambitious targets for further development of relations and cooperation in their strategic partnership, including the upgrading of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area, and are committed to resolving differences.

"One of the most sensitive issues that effects peace and stability in the region, which is important not only for ASEAN, but China, is the issue of the South China Sea," said Le.

"So ASEAN and China are committed to resolving the differences with a view to maintaining peace and stability in the region. We have agreed to accelerate the process of consultations toward an early conclusion to have a code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea," he said.

Responding to a question on the six-pronged proposal Chinese Premier Li Keqiang put forward at a meeting between China and ASEAN on Saturday, Le said the two sides had just finalized the new plan of action to implement their strategic partnership.

"So that will be building on the success and the progress we have achieved, and new measures to further enhance China-ASEAN relations and partnership that will include, you know, the enhancement of ASEAN-China economic trade and investment relations, the enhancement of ASEAN-China investment in all areas of political-security and social-cultural cooperation," he said.

"The China-ASEAN partnership is one of the most important strategic partnerships ASEAN has concluded with its partners. We have appreciated it very much for China's support for ASEAN. China's support for ASEAN contributed to the process and the ASEAN integration process."

Founded in 1967, ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Enditem