Wang Yi Attends the 12th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting

On August 5, 2022 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended the 12th East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Phnom Penh.

Wang Yi said, the East Asia Summit was founded with the clear principles of promoting regional peace, stability and development, emphasizing its adherence to the centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and its commitment to achieving integrated development and common prosperity in East Asia. At present, the international and regional situation is undergoing complex changes, coupled with prominent problems of uncertainty and instability. The post-COVID economic recovery remains sluggish, the negative effects of the Ukraine crisis spill over, the problems of energy, food, and finance emerge one after another, and the stability of the industrial and supply chains has been seriously impacted. Countries in the region expect the East Asia Summit to play a positive role in building consensus among all parties, and properly addressing challenges. We should review the original purposes of the summit, steadily steer its direction, prevent small exclusive cliques from impacting the regional architecture,  promote true multilateralism and open regionalism, uphold the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, and safeguard basic norms governing international relations underpinned by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. Wang Yi made the Chinese side's proposals for the next-step development of the summit.

First, insisting on carrying out dialogues on political security in a constructive way. We should uphold the spirit of openness and inclusiveness, adhere to the Asian way, and accommodate the needs and concerns of all parties. We should respect each other, seek common ground while shelving differences, and not draw ideological lines. We should uphold the principle of sovereign independence, conduct dialogues and exchanges on an equal footing, and refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. We should consolidate the ASEAN-centered regional cooperation architecture, and oppose the introduction of bloc confrontation.

Second, strengthening the summit's impetus for development and cooperation. We should continue to give priority to development and people's livelihood, and increase input in poverty alleviation and other fields, to better solve the development issue and achieve common development. while the countries in the region make a new five-year action plan, the common aspiration of countries in the region to achieve sustainable recovery should be fully reflected.

Third, promoting the capability of jointly addressing risks and challenges. We should support ASEAN in setting up regional vaccine production and distribution centers and strengthening capacity building in public health. We should implement the cooperation initiative on global food security, jointly promote energy security and availability, and ensure a stable energy supply. We should support the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, maintain the stable and smooth functioning of industrial and supply chains, and build the Asia-Pacific Free Trade Area and the Asia-Pacific Economic Community.