Chinese premier exchanges congratulations with Brunei's sultan on 30th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relations

BEIJING, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for 2021, on Monday exchanged congratulatory messages to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations between China and ASEAN.

Over the past 30 years, China and ASEAN countries have been standing together through good and bad times and forging ahead, making important contributions to the stability, development and prosperity of various countries and the region, and setting a benchmark and model for cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, Li said in his message.

Since last year, Li said, China and ASEAN have joined hands to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which has further demonstrated the spirit of a community with a shared future which features supporting and helping each other through thick and thin.

Li added that China-ASEAN relations have entered a new phase of comprehensive development, and China is ready to work with ASEAN to build a higher level of strategic partnership, forge a closer community with a shared future, and better respond to future regional and global challenges for the benefit of the more than 2 billion people in the 11 countries of both sides.

In his message, Hassanal, on behalf of ASEAN, extended sincere congratulations on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations and the centenary of the Communist Party of China, saying that ASEAN-China relations have achieved fruitful results over the past 30 years and have become one of the most strategic and comprehensive partnerships.

The two sides have joined hands in anti-pandemic cooperation and continuously deepened exchanges and cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, as well as people and culture, said Hassanal. He also thanked China for firmly supporting ASEAN's central role and expressed confidence that the ASEAN-China strategic partnership will create a better future for people of the two sides.