Xi Jinping Attends and Chairs the Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations and Officially Announces the Establishment of a China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership

On the morning of November 22, 2021, President Xi Jinping attended and chaired the Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations in Beijing via video link. China and ASEAN officially announced the establishment of a China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

Xi Jinping delivered an important speech titled "For a Shared Future and Our Common Home".

Xi Jinping pointed out that China-ASEAN dialogue relations have gone through an extraordinary journey over the past three decades. These 30 years have witnessed intensive development of economic globalization and profound changes in the international landscape. These 30 years have also seen China and ASEAN seizing opportunities of the times and achieving leapfrog development in our relations. We have cast away the shadow of the Cold War and jointly upheld stability in our region. We have spearheaded economic integration in East Asia, promoted common development and prosperity, and delivered better lives to the over two billion people. We have explored a bright path of good-neighborliness and win-win cooperation, taken strides toward building a closer community with a shared future and made important contribution to the cause of human progress.

Xi Jinping stressed that today, we jointly announce the establishment of a China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This is a new milestone in the history of our relations and will inject new impetus into peace, stability, prosperity and development of our region and the world.

Xi Jinping pointed out that the gains in China-ASEAN cooperation over the past 30 years are attributable to our unique geographical proximity and cultural affinity and, more importantly, to the fact that we have actively embraced the development trend of our times and made the right historic choice.

First, we have respected each other and acted by the basic norms of international relations. Equality and harmonious coexistence are our common pursuit. We were the first to advocate the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Bandung Spirit. China was the first among ASEAN's dialogue partners to join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. The two sides have accommodated each other's major concerns, respected each other's development paths, increased understanding and trust through sincere communication, and properly handled disagreements and problems by seeking common ground while shelving differences, thus jointly upholding and promoting Asian values.

Second, we have cooperated for win-win results and followed a path of peaceful development. China and ASEAN countries share the same goal of securing stability for our countries and happiness for our people. We have firmly upheld regional peace and stability, stayed focused on development, taken the lead in establishing free trade areas, promoted high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and jointly concluded and signed the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, thus promoting integrated development of the region and well-being of our people.

Third, we have looked out for each other and honored the principle of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness. Mutual assistance is the shared tradition between China and ASEAN. Our exchanges are as frequent as those between relatives. We value friendship and credibility. We rejoice together in good times, and help each other out in hard times. We have stood with each other through the Asian financial crisis, international financial crisis, COVID-19 and other challenges, thus forging a stronger sense of being a community with a shared future.

Fourth, we have upheld inclusiveness and mutual learning and jointly contributed to open regionalism. Diversity and inclusiveness are in our DNA. Drawing wisdom from East Asian civilization, we have steered regional economic integration with an open mind, advanced ASEAN-led regional cooperation through equal-footed consultation, and forged friendships that are open, not exclusionary, with an inclusive attitude, thus honoring the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits.

Xi Jinping noted that the valuable experience we have gained over the past 30 years is the shared asset of China and ASEAN. It lays the foundation and provides guidelines for developing our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. We need to doubly cherish the experience, uphold it over the long run, and keep enriching and expanding it as we go forward.

Xi Jinping quoted a Chinese proverb that reads "Distance tests a horse's strength, and time reveals a person's integrity". China was, is, and will always be ASEAN's good neighbor, good friend and good partner. China will unswervingly take ASEAN as a high priority in its neighborhood diplomacy, unswervingly support ASEAN unity and ASEAN Community building, unswervingly support ASEAN centrality in the regional architecture, and unswervingly support ASEAN in playing a bigger role in regional and international affairs.

Xi Jinping pointed out that not long ago, the Communist Party of China convened the Sixth Plenary Session of its 19th Central Committee and comprehensively reviewed the major achievements and historical experience of the Party over the past century. Full of confidence, the Chinese people are marching forward on the new journey to build China into a modern socialist country in all respects. China's development will provide more opportunities for and inject strong impetus into the region and the wider world. China stands ready to work with ASEAN to grasp the overriding trend, remove interference, share opportunities and promote shared prosperity. We will implement in earnest our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and make new strides toward building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

Xi Jinping made five proposals regarding the future relations between China and ASEAN.

First, we can build a peaceful home together. Maintaining peace is our greatest common interest and the most cherished aspiration of people of all countries. We need to serve as the builders and guardians of peace in the region. We need to pursue dialogue instead of confrontation, build partnerships instead of alliances, and make concerted efforts to address the various negative factors that might threaten or undermine peace. We need to practice true multilateralism and stick to the principle that international and regional affairs be handled through discussion among us all. China firmly opposes hegemonism and power politics. China pursues long-term, friendly coexistence with neighboring countries, and is part of the common efforts for durable peace in the region. China supports ASEAN's efforts to build a nuclear weapon-free zone, and is prepared to sign the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone as early as possible.

Second, we can build a safe and secure home together. The COVID-19 pandemic has once again proved that no place on Earth is an insulated island enjoying absolute security, and only universal security brings genuine security. China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to jointly build a "health shield" for the region. Under this initiative, China is ready to donate an additional 150 million doses of COVID vaccines to ASEAN countries. China will contribute an additional 5 million U.S. dollars to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund, step up vaccine joint production and technology transfer, and collaborate on research and development of essential medicines. China will support ASEAN in strengthening primary-level public health systems and cultivating human capital for ASEAN. It is important to pursue common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and deepen cooperation in areas such as defense, counter-terrorism, joint maritime search, rescue and exercise, countering transnational crime, and disaster management. Joint efforts are needed to safeguard stability in the South China Sea and make it a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation.

Third, we can build a prosperous home together. The Global Development Initiative I put forth recently has much to contribute to ASEAN countries' efforts to meet their development needs, and can be mutually reinforcing with ASEAN Community Vision 2025. China is ready to provide ASEAN with another 1.5 billion U.S. dollars of development assistance in the next three years to support ASEAN countries' fight against COVID-19 and economic recovery. China is ready to engage in international development cooperation with ASEAN. We support the establishment of a China-ASEAN Knowledge Network for Development to strengthen exchange and cooperation with ASEAN on poverty reduction to promote balanced and inclusive development. We need to begin work toward a new round of upgrade of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area at an early date, and enhance the level of trade and investment liberalization and facilitation. We need to expand cooperation in new areas like digital and green economy and build joint demonstration zones for economic innovative development. China is ready to import more quality products from ASEAN countries, including buying up to 150 billion U.S. dollars' worth of agricultural products from ASEAN in the next five years. We seek high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with ASEAN. China will continue to develop demonstration zones for high-quality Belt and Road international industrial capacity cooperation, and welcomes ASEAN countries' participation in the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor. China will launch the China-ASEAN Science, Technology and Innovation Enhancing Program, and will provide 1,000 items of advanced and applicable technology to ASEAN and support a program for 300 young scientists from ASEAN to come to China for exchanges in the next five years. We propose a China-ASEAN Digital Governance Dialogue to deepen innovative application of digital technology.

Fourth, we can build a beautiful home together. China is ready to open a dialogue with ASEAN on climate response, increase policy communication and experience sharing, and synergize our plans for sustainable development. We may jointly promote a regional energy transition, discuss establishment of a China-ASEAN clean energy cooperation center, and enhance technology sharing in renewable energies. We may intensify cooperation on green finance and investment to support regional low-carbon and sustainable development. China is ready to launch the Action Plan on China-ASEAN Green Agriculture. We may also energize the China-ASEAN Countries Joint Research and Development Center of Marine Science and Technology, build the Partnership on Blue Economy, and promote marine sustainable development.

Fifth, we can build an amicable home together. We need to advocate peace, development, equity, justice, democracy and freedom, which are common values of humanity. We need to actively consider orderly resumption of flow of people post the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to promote exchanges in areas such as culture, tourism, think tanks, media and women. China will enhance cooperation with ASEAN in vocational education and mutual recognition of diplomas, and increase the number of recipients of China-ASEAN Young Leaders Scholarship. Next year, China will host the Beijing Winter Olympics and the Hangzhou Asian Games, which offer good opportunities for deepening sports exchanges and cooperation between China and ASEAN countries.

At last, Xi Jinping emphasized that as an ancient Chinese statesman observed, "Designs for justice prevail, and acts for people's benefit succeed." Let us keep close to our hearts people's aspiration for a better life, and put on our shoulders the mission of our times to safeguard peace and promote development. Let us work hand in hand to build on what has been achieved and work toward a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future, and make our region and the world even more prosperous and beautiful.

Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, ASEAN's rotating Chair, co-chaired the Special Summit. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, Indonesian President Joko Widodo, Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith, Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended the Summit. Secretary-General of ASEAN Lim Jock Hoi also participated in the Summit.

The leaders of ASEAN countries thanked China for hosting the Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations. They expressed congratulations on the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China and the extraordinary achievements made in completing the building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. They said that during the past 30 years since the establishment of ASEAN-China dialogue relations, the two sides have become the most comprehensive and substantial strategic partners who enjoy the largest benefits through win-win cooperation. It has vigorously promoted the building of the ASEAN community and brought tangible benefits to the two peoples. ASEAN appreciates and thanks China for taking the lead in providing strong support for ASEAN's COVID-19 response and post-pandemic economic recovery. ASEAN welcomes the Global Development Initiative put forward by China. ASEAN is willing to accelerate the alignment between China's Belt and Road Initiative and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 to further unleash cooperation potential, enhance practical cooperation in various fields and strengthen cultural exchanges. ASEAN countries are ready to work with China to safeguard multilateralism, the multilateral trading system and internationally recognized rules of international law, promote regional economic integration, tackle global challenges such as climate change and realize green and sustainable development. The leaders of ASEAN countries said that the official establishment of an ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic partnership is a landmark of great historic importance in bilateral relations. ASEAN stands ready to work with China to promote cooperation on all fronts to embrace another 30 years of closer ASEAN-China relations, and make greater contributions to the region's peace, stability and prosperity. They wish the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games a great success.

The Summit adopted the Joint Statement of the ASEAN-China Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations.

Ding Xuexiang, Yang Jiechi, Wang Yi, and He Lifeng attended the Summit.