China is willing to share development opportunities with member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in jointly advancing the modernization drive of Asia, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday.
Wang, also member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the statement while addressing the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with China held Friday in Vientiane, the capital city of Laos.
Wang said that in recent years, the building of the China-ASEAN community with a shared future has made solid advances and effectively promoted common development.
China is willing to share China's development opportunities with ASEAN member states, support ASEAN states in embarking on a successful modernization path tailored to their national realities as well as historic and cultural characteristics, and jointly advance the modernization drive of Asia with ASEAN states, Wang said.
He pointed out that China will continue to firmly support a strategically independent ASEAN, support the greater development of an ASEAN-centered regional cooperation mechanism, and support the building of peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable homeland for China and ASEAN.
The two sides should speed up with the version 3.0 of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area (FTA), explore the development potential of emerging industries such as AI and financial cooperation, expand local currency settlement, according to Wang.
He noted that China is willing to be the first country to sign the Protocol to the Treaty on Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone and support the establishment of the Southeast Asia nuclear weapon-free zone with practical actions.
Wang also elaborated on China's principled position on the South China Sea issue.
Other parties to the conference speak positively of China's efforts to promote peace and stability, support the series of global initiatives proposed by China, and highly appreciate China's strong support for ASEAN centrality and the fruitful results of practical cooperation between the two sides.
The parties said they are willing to give play to the effectiveness of the mechanism for cooperation between the two sides, complete the negotiations on the upgraded version of the China-ASEAN FTA at an early date, and deepen the ASEAN-China comprehensive strategic partnership.
They welcomed the important progress achieved in the consultations on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), saying that an agreement on a COC is expected to take place at an early date.
The parties expressed appreciation for China's willingness to take the lead in signing the Protocol to the Treaty on Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone and said they are willing to work together to maintain regional peace and tranquility.
The "ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Joint Statement on Strengthening Humanitarian Mine Action Cooperation" was approved at the meeting.
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China to advance modernization drive of Asia with ASEAN: foreign minister
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China to advance modernization drive of Asia with ASEAN: foreign minister