KUALA LUMPUR: As rising protectionism and arbitrary tariffs threaten regional development, Asean and China must unite and safeguard their shared economic interests, says Chinese Premier Li Qiang.
He said external interference and economic coercion are disrupting trade and stability across the region, adding that many countries are being subjected to “unreasonable and heavy tariffs”.
“In the face of power politics, economic coercion, division and confrontation, not only do we gain little benefit, but we also risk being split and manipulated by outside forces.
“The more difficult the situation becomes, the more we must strengthen our unity,” he said at the 28th Asean-China Summit, held on the sidelines of the 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits.
Li said China and Asean have long stood together through hardship – from struggles for independence to overcoming financial crises, natural disasters and the Covid-19 pandemic – and should continue to do so amid new global headwinds.
“As President Xi Jinping said during his visit to South-East Asia in April: ‘Unity is strength, and cooperation brings mutual success.’
“China and Asean countries are good neighbours and good brothers; they are close, connected and share deep ties and mutual reliance. As long as we remain united and self-reliant, no difficulty will be insurmountable,” he added.
Li said cooperation between both sides had achieved “new results” in the past year, with trade expanding and people-to-people exchanges growing stronger.
“Cooperation across various fields continues to flourish, trade volume has steadily grown and visa facilitation has further encouraged people-to-people exchanges.
“China is willing to work hand in hand with Asean to build greater synergy, resist external disruptions and jointly face risks and challenges to create a brighter future for our shared region,” he added.
The Chinese Premier also held a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, where Li said he was “very pleased to once again visit beautiful Malaysia”.
“I feel at home every time I visit Malaysia, and I thank Malaysia for the warm welcome and arrangement,” he said.
Describing the talk as fruitful, Li said he had attended a series of summits and meetings with Anwar and received many “important results”.
“Malaysia has done much work as Asean Chair. We congratulate Malaysia for all the good results and success,” he added.
