Shared interests drive healthy China-ASEAN relations: secretary-general

Relations between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have been strengthened over the years, driven by proximity, robust economic ties, and shared cultural and historical bonds, ASEAN Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn said in an interview with China Media Group (CMG).

Since establishing dialogue relations in 1991, ASEAN and China have continuously deepened political mutual trust and practical cooperation, reaping fruitful results in various fields, including economic and trade cooperation, infrastructure, sci-tech innovation, and people-to-people exchanges, according to Kao.

China has been ASEAN's largest trading partner for 16 consecutive years, while ASEAN has been China's largest trading partner for the past five years.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has described China-ASEAN relations as the most successful and dynamic model in Asia-Pacific cooperation.

"ASEAN and China, the relationship is defined by being close neighbors. I think this is undeniably factual. It's a fact that we are neighbors by land, by air, by sea, including not just the sea, but also rivers, for example, are connected. We can choose friends, but we cannot choose neighbors. I think, on this fact, we have to work together. And over many decades, of course, going back in history, we have historical ties, we have culture ties. And now increasingly strong economic ties, and of course political and security ties that we have to work together," said Kao.

"We have shared interest in just about everything we do together. That's why what is being reflected and the mechanism that we have on the one hand, but in the amount of activities, programs and projects that have been undertaken annually [is] just enormous. And I think that we have to make sure that we maintain this level of commitment and level of working together. At the same time, we have to continue what we've been doing, that's to manage our challenges constructively, and we have been able to do that. Moving forward, I'm fully confident that we will continue to see the relationship continue to transform in the most dynamic way," he added.

ASEAN comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Shared interests drive healthy China-ASEAN relations: secretary-general

Shared interests drive healthy China-ASEAN relations: secretary-general

Shared interests drive healthy China-ASEAN relations: secretary-general

The number of multinational companies participating in the China Development Forum for the first time reached a record high this year, underscoring China's appeal as an attractive investment destination for foreign businesses.

The China Development Forum 2025 is being held on Sunday and Monday with the theme of "Unleashing Development Momentum for Stable Growth of Global Economy".

According to the organizer of the event, the forum has brought together 86 official representatives from multinational companies across 21 countries.

Notably, 17 multinationals from eight countries sent official representatives to the forum for the first time, accounting for almost 20 percent of the total number of participating companies.

The executives of many multinational enterprises have brought their latest plans to expand investment and establish research and development centers in China, as they expressed confidence in the country's innovation-friendly business environment.

"We are bringing technology. We are innovating in China. We are localizing in China. We are very committed to the Chinese market. And I was very happy to hear that China will continue this path and even accelerate," said Holger Klein, CEO of German auto supplier ZF Group.

"We are growing our research and development footprint. Our main R and D center here in Beijing has been massively expanded in the last few years, so we can more or less do anything that is necessary to create the high-tech automobile. And we opened a couple of years ago a second R and D center in Shanghai to get more access to the tech cluster in and around Shanghai as well," said Ola Kallenius, chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-Benz Group.

Record number of multinationals participate in CDF for first time