Chinese FM discusses stability in region with Asean sec-gen

Qin Gang (right) meets with Kao Kim Hourn n Beijing, on March 27, 2023. - Xinhua

BEIJING (Xinhua): Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Monday (March 27) met with Kao Kim Hourn, the secretary-general of the Association of Sout-Eeast Asian Nations (Asean) in Beijing.

Qin said the stability and continuity of China's domestic and foreign policies and its cause of advancing national rejuvenation through Chinese modernisation will inject more stability into regional peace and tranquility, and provide stronger driving force for regional development and prosperity.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of China's proposal to foster a closer China-Asean community with a shared future and the 20th anniversary of China's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in South-East Asia. China and member states of Asean have coexisted peacefully and set an example of good neighbourliness and friendship, Qin said.

He expressed China's willingness to work with Asean to carry forward the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and the spirit of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in South-East Asia to jointly defend regional rules and order.

As the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) has fully entered into force, China hopes that the two sides will make good use of this opportunity to yield significant outcomes in the negotiations on Version 3.0 China-Asean Free Trade Area (FTA) as soon as possible, he said.

China is ready to work with Asean to implement the Global Civilisation Initiative and strengthen people-to-people exchanges to provide inexhaustible energy for mutually beneficial cooperation, Qin said.

He pointed out that China is willing to work with Asean members to eliminate external interference, fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, and reach an early agreement on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), so as to provide institutional guarantee for building the South China Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.

Qin stressed that Myanmar is a member of the big Asean family, and that China supports Asean in playing constructive good offices relating to Myanmar in the Asean way.

For his part, Kao Kim Hourn said China is a good partner of Asean, and Asean is willing to further strengthen cooperation with China in various fields, speed up negotiations on Version 3.0 China-Asean FTA, host commemorative activities marking the 20th anniversary of China's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in South-East Asia and the 20th anniversary of the China-Asean Expo, and step up the negotiation on COC.

Asean appreciates China's support for Asean centrality and its constructive role in easing the situation in Myanmar. Asean supports the Global Development Initiative proposed by China, agrees to exchanges and mutual learning among diverse civilisations, and is ready to cooperate with China on the implementation of relevant initiatives, he said.