BEIJING, Dec. 31 -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson on Thursday welcomed the formal establishment of the ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Community, calling it another significant milestone in ASEAN's integration.

Spokesperson Lu Kang said it is the first sub-regional community in Asia and marks a new stage in East Asian cooperation.

ASEAN announced in November at its 27th summit that the ASEAN Community, consisting of the Political and Security Community, the Economic Community and the Socio-Cultural Community, will be established on Dec. 31, 2015.

As a good friend and partner of ASEAN, China is confident about ASEAN' s development in the future, and wishes the ASEAN Community success, Lu said.

China and ASEAN forged a strategic partnership in 2003, Lu said, noting that the political mutual trust and pragmatic cooperation between the two sides have make important contributions to regional peace, stability and development.

The year 2016 marks the 25th anniversary of the dialogue relationship between China and ASEAN, which will provide new opportunities for both sides, Lu said.

China will continue to firmly support ASEAN's integration and the ASEAN Community, Lu said.

China is willing to make joint efforts with ASEAN countries to build a more closely-related community of common destiny for China and ASEAN, as well as to strengthen mutual trust and deepen pragmatic cooperation in the economy, trade and people-to-people exchanges.