JAKARTA, 10 May 2024 –At the 30th ASEAN-China Senior Officials’ Consultation, held today at the ASEAN Headquarters/ASEAN Secretariat, ASEAN and China reaffirmed commitment of both sides to enhancing their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP).
China reaffirmed its support for ASEAN Community-building efforts and ASEAN Centrality, and for ASEAN to play an even bigger role in regional affairs. China underscored that it continued to place high priority on its relations with ASEAN as part of its neighbourhood diplomacy.
Both sides exchanged views on developments in ASEAN and China, and the continued progress of ASEAN-China cooperation over the past year. Substantive progress has been made in the implementation of various areas under the ASEAN-China Plan of Action 2021-2025 and its Annex to advance the CSP.
The Meeting discussed ways to further promote cooperation under the CSP, particularly in the areas of trade and investment, connectivity, digital ecosystem, blue economy, clean energy, agriculture and food security, culture, and tourism. ASEAN looked forward to enhancing practical cooperation in the key areas of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), in line with the Joint Statement on mutually beneficial cooperation on the AOIP adopted in 2023.
The two sides also discussed this year’s cooperation theme, ASEAN-China Year of People-to-People Exchanges. A series of projects and activities have been and will be conducted throughout the year in China and ASEAN Member States to promote people-to-people exchanges between ASEAN and China.
The Senior Officials exchanged views on regional and international developments of common interest and concern. Both sides noted the need to enhance cooperation to address regional challenges such as terrorism, human trafficking, illicit drug abuse and cybercrime.
The Meeting discussed preparations for the upcoming ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting and ASEAN-China Summit, and noted China’s proposals for deliverables for the year, including in the areas of non-traditional security and people-to-people exchanges. Both sides looked forward to the conclusion of negotiations of the ASEAN-China FTA 3.0 upgrade, as well as the effective implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP), among others.
The Meeting was co-chaired by Alternate Senior Official/Director-General of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar, Dr. Khin Thidar Aye, and Senior Official/Vice Foreign Minister of China, Sun Weidong, and attended by Senior Officials from ASEAN Member States or their representative and the Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN for ASEAN Political-Security Community. Timor-Leste attended as Observer.
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