MANILA (Xinhua): Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi laid out tangible achievements of the China-Asean Comprehensive Strategic Partnership over the past five years as he attended the China-Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting recently.
Wang outlined four major areas of progress cementing ties between the two sides.
He said China has made steady progress in building a community with a shared future with neighbouring countries, reaching important common understandings with eight ASEAN member states on establishing bilateral communities with a shared future.
Wang noted that economic and trade links have maintained upward momentum following the formal signing of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol.
China and ASEAN have remained each other's largest trading partners for six consecutive years, with bilateral trade topping US$1 trillion in 2025.
Wang said that the two sides have also demonstrated solidarity amid crises, evidenced by China's swift emergency relief after powerful earthquakes hit Myanmar and Mindanao in the Philippines.
People-to-people exchanges have flourished, with almost 200 high-profile, well-received events held throughout the 2024-2025 ASEAN-China Year of People-to-People Exchanges and the rollout of a dedicated visa scheme for ASEAN countries to streamline cross-border travel, Wang added. -- Xinhua
