Chinese Premier Li Qiang has called for elevating the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level, emphasizing strengthened cooperation and shared prosperity between China and the ASEAN countries. Speaking at the 27th China-ASEAN Summit on Thursday, Premier Li highlighted the importance of market connectivity and urged both sides to work together in creating a hyper-scale market.
\"China will always firmly support ASEAN integration, community building, and its strategic independence,\" Premier Li stated. \"We stand ready to work with ASEAN countries to elevate our comprehensive strategic partnership to new heights.\"
Premier Li noted that over the past year, significant strides have been made in building a China-ASEAN community with a shared future, delivering tangible benefits to the peoples of both sides. However, he acknowledged the challenges facing the global economy, such as sluggish recovery and insufficient aggregate demand, asserting that the market has become the scarcest resource in current economic development.
With a combined population exceeding two billion people—over 1.4 billion in China and 600 million across ASEAN—the markets of China and ASEAN represent a significant advantage. \"Our markets are fully upgrading, continuously expanding, and increasingly opening up,\" Li said. \"Strengthening market connectivity is an important direction for further cooperation.\"
A major development underscoring this cooperation is the substantial conclusion of the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA) negotiations. This advancement provides an institutional guarantee for jointly building a hyper-scale market and marks a significant step toward leading economic integration in East Asia.
\"China is ready to work with ASEAN to develop and share a common market,\" Premier Li emphasized. \"This will generate stronger and more sustainable growth impetus for both sides while providing more robust support for the common prosperity of the region and the world at large.\"
Li pointed out that China-ASEAN relations have developed beyond a bilateral scope, bearing far-reaching significance for Asia and having a global impact. He pledged to work with ASEAN to create a better future for Asia, echoing Chinese President Xi Jinping's principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness.
Premier Li called for building a multidimensional connectivity network and actively promoting cooperation in infrastructure construction. He urged the expedited signing and implementation of the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement.
He also advocated for expanding cooperation in emerging industries, tapping into potential areas such as the digital economy and green development, and accelerating industrial transformation. Additionally, Li emphasized the importance of deepening cultural and people-to-people exchanges and promoting the implementation of the Global Civilization Initiative in the region.
Premier Li's remarks underscore China's commitment to strengthening ties with ASEAN countries and fostering economic growth and development in the region. As China and ASEAN work towards a shared future, their cooperation is set to play a crucial role in shaping the economic landscape of East Asia and beyond.
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Premier Li calls for elevating China-ASEAN partnership to higher level
cgtn.com
