ASEAN Plus Three countries share common home, common interests and common opportunities -- Chinese premier

Chinese Premier Li Qiang poses for a group photo with participants attending the 26th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept. 6, 2023. Li attended the 26th APT Summit here on Wednesday. [Photo/Xinhua]

JAKARTA -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Wednesday that the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) countries, and indeed all countries in Asia, share so many things in common.

They share a common home, common interests and common opportunities, Li said at the 26th ASEAN Plus Three Summit.

Over the past 20 years, the APT mechanism has stood the test of numerous crises and challenges, and played an important role in promoting regional development and prosperity, Li said.

The more difficult it is, the more regional countries need to stay together, show solidarity and coordinate with one another, Li noted.

We should act in the overall interests of peace and development in Asia, seek common ground while shelving differences, continuously consolidate the cooperation foundation of the APT mechanism, jointly respond to various risks and challenges, join hands to promote regional development, prosperity and stability, and strive to build an Asian community with a shared future, Li said.

As the world is entering a new period of turbulence and change, the cause of global development faces great challenges, Li noted, calling on regional countries to place development at a prominent place on the regional cooperation agenda.

He further called for removing all kinds of disturbances, tapping the potential of cooperation, and striving to find a path of development which is more stable, dynamic and beneficial to all.

Calling for enhanced innovation cooperation among regional parties to foster more new economic growth points, Li said taking the implementation of the newest APT Cooperation Work Plan as an opportunity, China stands ready to work with all parties to jointly build an economic growth center and focus on three priorities.

The first thing, he said, is to continue to promote regional economic integration, unleash the dividends of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, vigorously promote the free flow of factors of production, and promote the expansion and upgrading of trade and investment.

It is hoped that all parties will support Hong Kong's accession to the agreement as the first batch of new members, Li added.

"Second, we should continue to deepen regional industrial division and coordination, uphold the spirit of openness and win-win cooperation, continue to leverage geographical proximity and economic complementarity and other advantages, and promote the optimization and upgrading of regional industrial and supply chains in a stable manner," Li said.

Noting that the third thing is to strengthen the leading role of scientific and technological innovation, Li said that China is ready to deepen innovation cooperation with other parties on digital economy, clean energy and new energy vehicles to jointly promote the development of emerging industries and foster more new economic growth points.

Li also clarified China's position on the issue of the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water from Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant, and called on Japan to handle the matter responsibly.

The disposal of nuclear-contaminated water concerns the global marine ecological environment and people's health, Li said.

He called on Japan to faithfully fulfill its international obligations, fully consult with its neighbors and related stakeholders, and handle the nuclear-contaminated water in a responsible manner.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang attends the 26th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) Summit in Jakarta, Indonesia, Sept. 6, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

Leaders attending the summit noted that the APT cooperation has made important contributions to safeguarding regional stability and promoting regional development.

Relevant parties should coordinate actions, uphold multilateralism, and take the implementation of the newest APT Cooperation Work Plan as an opportunity to deepen cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, investment, digital economy, as well as green and low-carbon development, they said.

The leaders also said that relevant parties should join hands to cope with such global challenges as climate change, energy and food security, so as to inject new impetus into regional stability and prosperity, and make East Asia a center of peace and growth.

A joint declaration on developing the electric vehicle ecosystem among leaders of the APT countries was adopted at the summit.