Thirty years old, the future can be expected China-ASEAN cooperation to set sail again

Source: Global Times - Global Network

Author: Yao Zhi

China and ASEAN countries live side by side or across the sea, with historical and cultural integration and friendly exchanges with a long history. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of China-ASEAN dialogue relations. Thirty and standing, "standing" marks autonomy and maturity, which means calm and unswerving. Looking back over the past 30 years, China and ASEAN have joined hands, bilateral relations have developed by leaps and bounds, and the connotation of strategic partnership has been continuously enriched, which has not only made important contributions to the good-neighborliness, friendship, mutual benefit and win-win results between China and ASEAN, but also become an important pillar of regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

Fate is shared, hand in hand

Over the past 30 years, China and ASEAN have continuously strengthened strategic docking and jointly built a China-ASEAN community of common destiny. In 2003, China and ASEAN established a strategic partnership. In October 2013, during his state visit to Indonesia, President Xi Jinping proposed the initiative to build the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road", opening a new chapter in the "Belt and Road" initiative. In 2020, the two sides jointly participated in the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), which became a new milestone in regional economic integration in East Asia and injected a booster into world economic growth.

Pragmatic cooperation and common development

The scale of bilateral trade between China and ASEAN has expanded 85 times since 1991, and economic ties have become increasingly close. In 2020, China and ASEAN formed a good pattern of being each other's largest trading partners. At the 18th China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, which concluded in September this year, 179 international and domestic cooperation projects were signed, with a total investment of more than 300 billion yuan, and two-way investment reached a new high. The two sides have continued to deepen and solidify the "Belt and Road" initiative, and a number of major infrastructure projects such as the China-Laos Railway and the Yawan High-Speed Railway in Indonesia have been successfully implemented, which has greatly improved the level of interconnection between China and ASEAN countries, and steadily expanded investment and cooperation in manufacturing, agriculture, high-tech, digital economy, green economy and other fields. China-ASEAN cooperation has become the most successful and dynamic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, setting an example of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Respect each other and properly resolve differences

China and ASEAN take into account each other's concerns and core interests, and promote understanding and trust through sincere communication. China has successfully resolved the land border issue with Laos and Vietnam through dialogue and consultation, laying a solid foundation for the common prosperity and development of the land border areas between China and ASEAN countries. In 2002, China and ASEAN countries signed the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, confirming that they would jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea. In 2017, the parties signed the Framework Agreement on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea and continued to concentrate on advancing consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea. At present, the situation in the South China Sea has generally remained stable, and freedom of navigation and overflight is protected according to law.

Watch over each other and overcome the difficulties together

From the financial crisis to the covid-19 pandemic, the two sides have been interpreting the brotherhood of lips and teeth and the righteousness of neighbors who watch over each other with practical actions. At the beginning of 2020, at the critical moment of China's fight against the epidemic, ASEAN countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Brunei, Malaysia, and Laos gave china valuable support and selfless assistance in a timely manner, and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen became the first foreign leader to visit China after the outbreak of the epidemic. At present, China regards ASEAN as a priority partner in anti-epidemic cooperation, actively providing vaccines and assisting a large number of urgently needed anti-epidemic materials, showing the image of a responsible major country with practical actions and more vividly interpreting the concept of a community of human health.

Vast and boundless, sails but trade winds.

At present, the century-old changes are intertwined with the epidemic situation of the century, and both China and ASEAN are facing arduous development tasks and a complex external environment. The two sides should take the 30th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations as an opportunity, seize the huge opportunity of deepening cooperation, focus on drawing up a blueprint for development in the next 30 years, and work together to push bilateral relations to a new level. Both sides should grasp the following keywords:

Keywords: high-level communication

High-level exchanges play an irreplaceable top-level design and strategic leading role in developing China-ASEAN relations. Under the epidemic, the heads of state and government of the two sides have maintained "cloud interaction" in various ways on the bilateral and multilateral stages. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has traveled to ten ASEAN countries, and foreign ministers of many ASEAN countries have visited China. Since the beginning of this year, the two sides have intensively carried out a series of government-people interaction activities to jointly celebrate the year when China-ASEAN relations have entered the standing. The two sides should give better play to the leading role of high-level exchanges, draw a new blueprint for the long-term development of bilateral relations, and set a new benchmark.

Keywords: China-ASEAN community of common destiny

Implement President Xi Jinping's 4-point initiative on building a closer China-ASEAN community of common destiny, enhance strategic mutual trust, jointly build the "Belt and Road" with high quality, promote the early entry into force and implementation of RCEP, open up emerging fields, deepen anti-epidemic cooperation, consolidate the pillar of social and people-to-people exchanges, build a higher level of China-ASEAN strategic partnership, create a broader space for cooperation for regional countries, and jointly maintain the good momentum of prosperity and development in the region.

Keywords: strategic docking

Based on the new stage of development, China will accelerate the construction of a new development pattern, which will provide a larger market, more opportunities and stronger development momentum for all countries in the world, including ASEAN countries. It is necessary to promote the "Belt and Road" initiative and accelerate the docking of the development strategies and interconnection master plans of ASEAN countries, so that China's high-quality development can drive regional development, not only to create new highlights of pragmatic cooperation, but also to ensure that the people share the dividends of cooperation.

Keywords: solidarity and collaboration

In the face of great global development, great changes and great adjustments, the healthy and stable development of China-ASEAN relations conforms to the interests of China and ASEAN countries, and is also conducive to maintaining regional and world peace and stability. The two sides should always uphold the strategic long-term vision, work together to contribute positive energy to global governance, seek common ground while reserving differences, build consensus, unite and help each other, and strive for a more favorable external environment for their own and regional development. It is necessary to focus on the vision of peace, commit to safeguarding the common interests of developing countries, and avoid becoming an arena for geopolitical games.

The tide head ascends and then hits the oar, and the boundless scenery is in front.

At the new historical starting point, China and ASEAN countries will certainly work together to set sail, ride the wind and waves, and create a brand-new situation in China-ASEAN relations. We can firmly believe that in the next 30 years, China-ASEAN relations will be more dynamic and exciting. (The writer is an observer on international issues)