On the afternoon of 9 October local time, Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council attended the 16th ASEAN-China (10+1) Summit in Bandar Seri Begawan, capital of Brunei. Li Keqiang co-hosted the meeting with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam and leaders of 10 ASEAN countries were all present. At the meeting, the leaders held in-depth discussions on deepening ASEAN-China relations, raised proposals on cooperation framework and reached broad consensus.
Li Keqiang said in the speech that over the ten years since the establishment of ASEAN-China strategic partnership, political mutual trust has been unceasingly deepened, with rapidly growing practical cooperation as well as increasingly close people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Both sides have helped each other by the all-in-the-same-boat spirit in coping with the global financial crisis and in fighting against major natural disasters. It shows that China-ASEAN cooperation is conducive to common interest of both sides and in line with the trend of the times towards peace, development and cooperation.
Li Keqiang pointed out that at present, China-ASEAN relations have entered a mature period and cooperation has entered a fast track. China and ASEAN should further deepen the two-point political consensus. First, the fundamental issue for promoting cooperation lies in deepening strategic trust and exploring good-neighbourly friendship. Second, the key to deepening cooperation is to focus on economic development and to expand mutual benefit and win-win outcomes. Both sides should seize the opportunities to push forward the wide-ranging, in-depth, high-level and all-dimensional cooperation between China and ASEAN. Li Keqiang raised a seven-point proposal on the framework of China-ASEAN cooperation for the next ten years:
First, to actively discuss the signing of the treaty of good-neighborliness and friendly cooperation between China and ASEAN countries so as to provide legal and institutional guarantees for China-ASEAN strategic cooperation and to lead the development of bilateral relations.
Second, to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the security field. To improve the China-ASEAN defence ministers' meeting mechanism and to deepen cooperation in the non-traditional security fields including disaster prevention and relief, cyber-security, combating transnational crime and joint law enforcement.
Third, to launch negotiations on upgrading the China-ASEAN FTA and to strive to bring bilateral trade volume to 1 trillion U.S. dollars by 2020 so as to ensure that ASEAN countries will benefit more from regional integration and China's economic growth.
Fourth, to accelerate the construction of connectivity infrastructure. To make good use of China-ASEAN connectivity cooperation committee and other mechanisms, to advance the construction of Trans-Asian Railway and other projects, and to prepare for the establishment of the "Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank" in order to provide a financing platform for connectivity in ASEAN and in the region.
Fifth, to enhance financial cooperation and risk prevention in the region. To broaden the scale and scope of bilateral local currency swap, to expand the pilots of local currency settlement in cross-border trade, to reduce exchange rate risks and settlement costs of intraregional trade and investment and to leverage the role of the China-ASEAN Inter-Bank Association.
Sixth, to steadily promote maritime cooperation. To join hands building the "Maritime Silk Road" in the 21st century, and to focus on implementing cooperation on maritime economy, maritime connectivity, environmental protection, scientific research, search and rescue as well as fishery.
Seventh, to keep close exchanges in the fields of people-to-people and cultural contacts, scien-tech and environmental protection so as to consolidate the foundation of friendly cooperation.
Li Keqiang stressed that the two-point political consensus and cooperation in the seven fields proposed by the Chinese side is a policy declaration of the Chinese government under the new leadership on the development of China-ASEAN relations for the next ten years. China is ready to enhance strategic mutual trust with ASEAN and to deepen all-dimensional cooperation, so as to achieve common development and to continue to write a new chapter of China-ASEAN relations.
Li Keqiang finally expressed that China-ASEAN relations enjoy profound basis and firm bond, with huge potentials and broad prospects for bilateral cooperation. A historical window of opportunity has been open before us. China is ready to be forever a partner and friend of ASEAN with sincere cooperation to jointly contribute more to benefiting Asia and the world at large.
The ASEAN leaders spoke highly of China adhering to the policy of good-neighbourly friendship, benefiting neighbouring countries with self-development and making important contributions to prosperity and stability of the region. They expressed high appreciation and welcome for the proposals raised by Li Keqiang, noting that ASEAN attaches importance to and develops relations with China from a strategic perspective and cherishes the cooperation outcomes long accumulated with China. ASEAN is ready, by the spirit of mutual trust, mutual benefit and win-win outcomes, to plan for the future development of bilateral relations with China, to deepen practical cooperation in all fields and to create favourable conditions for the development of ASEAN-China relations for the next ten years in order to join hands facing a better future of Asia.
The meeting issued the Joint Statement in Commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the Establishment of ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership.
