(7 November 2017)
Your Excellency Secretary-General Yang Xiuping,
Honorable Diplomatic Envoys of ASEAN Member States,
Distinguished Guests,
Dear Friends,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good evening!
It is a pleasure for me to attend this reception and join you in celebrating the sixth anniversary of the ASEAN-China Center. In recent years, under the leadership of Secretary-General Yang Xiuping, the ACC has opened new grounds in promoting China-ASEAN cooperation through a host of productive events on economic, trade, investment, social, and cultural fronts. While making positive contribution to the deepening of China-ASEAN relations, the ACC has also achieved notable progress in strengthening its institutions and platforms. On behalf of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, I would like to extend our congratulations and appreciation to Secretary-General Yang and all our colleagues of the Center.
Distinguished Guests,
Dear Friends,
This year marks the 50th anniversary of ASEAN. Over half a century, ASEAN, with a focus on development, has grown from strength to strength through unity and developed into the first sub-regional community in this part of the world. Committed to developing partnerships, ASEAN has helped put in place a regional cooperation structure featuring ASEAN centrality and served as an important force for advancing regional integration and maintaining regional peace and stability. China is truly heartened to see ASEAN’s success and will continue to firmly support the building of ASEAN Community, ASEAN’s centrality in regional cooperation and a bigger role of ASEAN in international and regional affairs.
Not long ago, the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China was successfully concluded. This important meeting has set forth the basic policy and specific plans for the cause of the Party and the country in the time to come. Pursuing major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics in an all-round way is an important component of the Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. President Xi has pointed out that major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics aims to foster a new type of international relations and build a community with a shared future for mankind. These words encapsulate the overarching goal of China’s diplomacy for a new era and make clear to the world what we hope to achieve through joint efforts with all other countries.
China will always follow the principles of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness and the policy of fostering friendship and partnership in its efforts to deepen relations with neighboring countries. ASEAN is a priority in China’s neighborhood diplomacy and an important participant of the Belt and Road Initiative. Last August, President Xi Jinping sent a message to President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines, the rotating Chair of ASEAN, congratulating ASEAN on the tremendous progress made since its inception half a century ago and charting the course for China-ASEAN relations. President Xi said that China is ready to make the most of the opportunity brought by the 15th anniversary of China-ASEAN strategic partnership in 2018, bear in mind both short- and long-term interests, endeavor to build an even closer China-ASEAN community of shared future and make it a model for a community of shared future in Asia. In a few days, Premier Li Keqiang will travel to Manila for the ASEAN-plus leaders' meetings. It is our hope that, through these meetings, we will be able to upgrade China-ASEAN relations, move the relations from a period of growth to a period of maturity, strengthen medium- and long-term planning for the relations, and elevate the China-ASEAN strategic partnership to a higher level.
Distinguished Guests,
Dear Friends,
China and ASEAN have the most robust and substantive relations in all ASEAN's dialogue partners, and our relations have been a pillar for ASEAN-plus cooperation. Looking ahead, China is ready to work with
ASEAN to build a China-ASEAN community of shared future featuring common ideals, common prosperity and common responsibility, carry forward the spirit of mutual trust, mutual accommodation, mutual benefit and mutual support in China-ASEAN cooperation, and let the Silk Road spirit take root through China-ASEAN cooperation.
Next year will mark the 15th anniversary of China-ASEAN strategic partnership. We hope that as the only intergovernmental organization between China and ASEAN, the ACC will put this unique strength to best use, focus on the priority areas and major projects in bilateral cooperation to help deliver the outcomes and consensus reached in leaders' meetings, make good plans and preparations for relevant events of next year, and fully play its role as a bridge and platform for promoting exchanges and cooperation between China and ASEAN. As the host country for the ACC, China will continue to support the Center’s work and work with ASEAN member states to build up the capacity of the ACC, so that it can play a bigger role in functional cooperation between China and ASEAN.
Before I conclude, I wish to express my appreciation to the diplomatic envoys and friends from different sectors present today for your care, support and participation in China-ASEAN cooperation in various fields and your contribution to deepening China-ASEAN relations. I wish you all good health, every success in your work and family happiness!
Thank you!