Wang Yi Attends the 30th ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers' Meeting

On July 14, 2023 local time, Director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs Wang Yi attended the 30th ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Jakarta.

Wang Yi said that this year marks the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the ARF. As an extensive security mechanism with the widest coverage in the Asia-Pacific region, the ARF has consistently carried out security dialogue and cooperation and made useful contributions to safeguarding regional peace and stability. The ARF takes confidence-building measures as its core and has been gradually exploring preventive diplomacy in line with regional realities. The ARF upholds ASEAN centrality, advocates the ASEAN Way of mutual respect, consensus building through consultation and accommodating each other’s comfort levels, and works to build an ASEAN-centered regional security architecture. These valuable experience and useful practices are worth upholding. The regional security situation is undergoing profound changes, with prominent unstable and uncertain factors. To maintain a secure and stable strategic environment in the Asia-Pacific region, China would like to put forward three proposals.

First, stay committed to openness and inclusiveness, and promote common security. All parties should adhere to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, take into account the aspirations and accommodate the interests of all parties, and pursue the path of common security through extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits. The region does not need an arms race, must not engage in bloc confrontation, and does not welcome any move to start things all over again. The region is even more opposed to the attempt at a so-called "Asia-Pacific version of NATO".

Second, safeguard regional rules and promote universal security. The purposes and principles of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia are highly consistent with the purposes of the UN Charter, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Bandung Spirit, and constitute a code of conduct for guiding relations among countries in the region. It is important to further carry forward the spirit of the Treaty and practice true multilateralism.

Third, deepen practical cooperation and practice cooperative security. All parties should bring into full play their unique advantages of rich cooperation topics and numerous practical projects to inject more vitality into confidence-building measures and preventive diplomacy in various fields, promote solid progress in cooperation in less sensitive areas, gradually foster and expand common security interests, and enhance mutual security trust.