Premier Li Keqiang Attends the 25th ASEAN, China, Japan and the ROK Summit

On the morning of November 12, 2022 local time, Premier Li Keqiang of the State Council attended the ASEAN, China, Japan and the ROK (ASEAN Plus Three) Summit, along with the leaders of ASEAN countries, the ROK President Yoon Suk-yeol, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen chaired the summit.

Premier Li Keqiang said that East Asia is an important driver for world economic growth, and the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit is a major mechanism for East Asia cooperation. Since its launch 25 years ago, the APT cooperation, thanks to overall peace and stability in the region, has enjoyed rapid development and lasting progress, boosted the development of respective countries, and safeguarded regional financial and food security as well. It is conducive to the stable and unimpeded international industrial and supply chains. In the face of the current complicated and volatile international situations, APT countries should continue to commit themselves to safeguarding peace and stability and achieving development and prosperity in the region and the world, so as to improve the well-being of the people.

Premier Li Keqiang put forward a five-point proposal:

First, keep the pace of regional economic integration. Promote the full effectiveness and implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), and release the maximum dividends of the agreement. China supports an early establishment of the RCEP Secretariat.

Second, maintain the stability of industrial and supply chains. Adhere to open and integrated development to promote the optimization and upgrade of regional industrial and supply chains in stable and unimpeded operation. Relying on the APT small and medium enterprises service alliance, to help enterprises in the region enhance scientific and technological innovation and digitization capacity, and create more job opportunities.

Third, improve crisis response capacity. China supports building an APT storage center of emergency medical supplies and an APT rice emergency storage mechanism, supports the effectiveness of the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization to keep improving the regional financial safety net.

Fourth, deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges. China is ready to take the opportunity of the launch of the ASEAN Directors-General of Immigration Departments and Heads of Consular Affairs Divisions of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs Plus Three Consultation mechanism to provide more policy support to facilitate personnel exchanges. China is ready to optimize pandemic prevention and control measures according to the changing pandemic situation, gradually increase international flights, and proactively facilitate the return of ASEAN, Japanese and the ROK students to resume their studies in China.

Fifth, contribute to sustainable development. China is willing to carry out cooperation on the Global Development Initiative with all parties, take the lead in conducting APT transition finance research and holding APT clean energy round-tables, and continuously deepen the low carbon cooperative partnership. China is ready to continue  advancing the projects under the East Asian Cooperation Initiative on Poverty Reduction (phase II), making its contribution to regional poverty alleviation.

Premier Li Keqiang said that China has been deeply integrated into the world. China will adhere to the fundamental national policy of opening up, and will open the door wider to the outside world. China is ready to bring new opportunities to all other countries in the world with its own development, and inject new impetus into deepening the APT cooperation.

Premier Li Keqiang noted that in the past decade, China has initiated more than 130 cooperative initiatives or projects under the APT cooperation framework, most of which had been implemented thanks to the joint efforts of related parties. The APT cooperation has gone through twists and turns, and the hard-won achievements should be cherished with greater care. China is ready to work with other APT parties to build more common ground, to deepen practical cooperation, and will work relentlessly for a bright future of East Asia cooperation.

Participating leaders said that China, Japan, and the ROK are major cooperative partners of ASEAN countries. APT serves as the ballast of regional cooperation, and has yielded important cooperation outcomes in promoting regional economic development, safeguarding regional peace and stability, and jointly fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, among others. All parties should be closely united, deepen and strengthen cooperation in fields including agriculture, interconnectivity, digital economy, financial security, public health, ecological environment, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and sustainable development, jointly implement RCEP, maintain secure and stable industrial and supply chains, advance regional economic integration, address global challenges, and promote the APT cooperation to yield greater results, with an aim to achieve the long-term goal of building an East Asia Community.

The summit released the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation 1997-2022 in Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of APT Cooperation.

Xiao Jie was present at the summit.