To make China-ASEAN cooperation more fruitful

The 21st China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit were held in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region from Sept. 24 to 28.

The two events saw the signing of over 100 projects and released multiple outcome documents. It demonstrated the latest achievements of China-ASEAN cooperation, injecting new impetus into promoting regional economic integration and building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

Over the past more than 30 years since China and ASEAN established dialogue relations, the two sides have explored a bright path of good-neighborliness and win-win cooperation, taking strides toward building a closer community with a shared future.

Photo shows the Nanning International Convention and Exhibition Center, the permanent venue site of the China-ASEAN Expo, in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. (People's Daily Online/Yu Xiangquan)

In October 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed that China and ASEAN countries work together to build a 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and foster a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future. His proposals resonated warmly among ASEAN countries.

At the Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations held in November 2021, Xi proposed building a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home together, and alongside leaders of ASEAN countries, announced the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

China and ASEAN have strengthened understanding and trust through mutual respect, deepened regional economic integration through win-win cooperation, significantly improved connectivity through consultation and joint contribution and tightened cultural and people-to-people bonds through friendly exchanges.

The two sides' interactions have served as the most successful and dynamic model of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific, and a vivid example of the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

As a practical platform for deepening China-ASEAN cooperation, the China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit have witnessed the rapid development of China-ASEAN relations, promoting high-level and comprehensive cooperation between the two sides. As a result, China had ASEAN are seeing deepened industrial cooperation and thriving trade in goods.

Chinese and foreign business people talk to each other at the 21st China-ASEAN Expo, Sept. 27, 2024. (People's Daily Online/Zhu Xiaoming)

Key international cooperation projects have been successively implemented, such as the China-ASEAN Information Harbor, the China-Indochina Peninsula Economic Corridor, and the China-ASEAN Port Cities Cooperation Network. Cooperation between China and ASEAN in areas such as smart cities, artificial intelligence, and e-commerce continues to strengthen, and globally competitive emerging industry clusters are taking shape at a faster pace.

ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn said that the China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit have laid a foundation for building a more connected, resilient and dynamic region over the years, contributing to promoting shared prosperity in the region.

After a "golden decade" and a "diamond decade," the China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit are marching toward a diamond crown new future. They will further consolidate the vibrant momentum of win-win cooperation to propel China-ASEAN collaboration towards more fruitful outcomes.

The theme of this year's expo focused on "Upholding amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness for common development, creating a diamond crown new future - promoting development of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 and high-quality growth in the region." It showcased the immense potential for strengthening cooperation between China and ASEAN countries, and for driving regional prosperity and development.

Leaders of ASEAN countries believe that it's a strategic choice made by regional economies under new circumstances to promote the development of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 and high-quality growth of this region, and it will facilitate regional and global peace, stability, and prosperity.

The China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit stem from China-ASEAN cooperation, and aim at sharing cooperation opportunities with countries around the world.

Visitors to the 21st China-ASEAN Expo pose for a picture with the goods they have purchased, Sept. 25, 2024. (People's Daily Online/Zhu Xiaoming)

In recent years, the expo and summit have continuously expanded their scope from serving China-ASEAN cooperation to serving the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership cooperation and high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, making the "cake" of opening up even bigger.

During this year's expo and summit, Gulf countries made their debut; the China-Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Local Economic and Trade Cooperation Demonstration Area and the SCO Secretariat also joined the events for the first time. Besides, the ASEAN Plus Three Industrial Chain and Partnering Conference was held on the sidelines.

The China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit build a larger platform and provide more opportunities for regional economic integration, promoting win-win cooperation in a wider scope and at a higher level.

China was, is, and will always be ASEAN's good neighbor, good friend and good partner. Leveraging the China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit, and taking the building of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 as an opportunity, the two sides are expected to further expand trade and mutual investment, and strengthen regional production and supply chain connectivity.

This will unleash the practical cooperation potential in various fields between China and ASEAN countries, achieve a higher level of mutual benefit and win-win results, promote the building of a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future, and make greater contributions to promoting regional and global peace, stability, and prosperity.