INTERNATIONAL: Since the establishment of dialogue relations 30 years ago, China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have moved forward hand-in-hand with fruitful results in various fields, becoming a fine example of the most successful and vibrant bilateral relations in the Asia-Pacific. Chairing and addressing the summit via video link on Tuesday, President Xi Jinping has announced the establishment of a comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the 10-member bloc.
According to analysts from ASEAN member nations, the speech of President Xi Jinping at the Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations is going to inject more and stronger impetus into regional and global prosperity.
The Chinese President has hailed the good-neighborly friendship and win-win cooperation between China and ASEAN over the past 30 years, saying the valuable cooperation experience lays the foundation and provides guidelines for developing their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
China’s leader has stated that the gains in bilateral cooperation are attributable to the unique geographical proximity and cultural affinity and, more importantly, to the fact that both sides have actively embraced the development trend of the times and made the right historic choice.
Trade between China and the ASEAN has skyrocketed by 85 times since the two sides established their dialogue relations in 1991. Since 2009, China has remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years, while in 2020, ASEAN also became China's largest trading partner.
The Director of Academic Affairs at the ASEAN Studies Center Piti Srisangnam says the Chinese President’s speech was very impressive pointing out mutual respect, assistance to each other, inclusiveness, as well as mutual learnings.
While the Former Director, Public Affairs Department, Association of Southeast Asian Nations Secretariat Danny Lee Chian Siong also says that China and ASEAN have a very long history of very good relations, and of course very comprehensive cooperation, and the collaboration is going to be brought up to the next level.
China has affirmed its full support and send ASEAN nations 150 million doses of vaccines for free, that means a faster operation down to the ground, down to the communities that will need it very badly.
