Full Text of Joint Statement of China-ASEAN Commemorative Summit

 

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and leaders of ASEAN members signed a joint statement Monday following the commemorative summit marking the 15th anniversary of the establishment of China-ASEAN dialogue. Following is the full text of the statement.

 

Joint Statement of China-ASEAN Commemorative Summit

 

Towards An Enhanced China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership

 

1.         We, the Heads of State/Government of the People's Republic of China and the Member Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathered on 30 October 2006 in the "Year of Friendship and Cooperation between China and ASEAN" in Nanning, China, to commemorate the Fifteenth Anniversary of the China-ASEAN dialogue relations.

 

Fifteen Years of Working and Growing Together

    

2.         We reviewed the progress in China-ASEAN dialogue relations and expressed satisfaction that this cooperation is comprehensive and deepening in many areas of mutual interest. The strategic partnership for peace and prosperity between China and ASEAN has not only vigorously boosted their own development and brought tangible benefits to their peoples, but also contributed significantly to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world at large. We are confident that we have laid down a solid foundation for enhanced future cooperation between China and ASEAN.

 

3.         We highly appreciated the strengthened political and security cooperation following the signing of the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in 2003 in Bali, and the adoption of the China-ASEAN Plan of Action in 2004 in Vientiane. We commended China for being the first Dialogue Partner of ASEAN to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in Southeast Asia in 2003 in Bali. We were pleased with the signing of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in 2002. The China-ASEAN Joint Declaration in the Field of Non-Traditional Security Issues of 2002 also increased the cooperation in dealing with transnational crime.

 

4.         We welcomed the positive effects of the China-ASEAN Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation signed in 2002 in Phnom Penh. In 2005, the China-ASEAN trade volume reached US$130.37 billion. While the total volume of ASEAN's actual investment in China reached US$3.1 billion, China's investment in ASEAN increased to US$158 million in 2005. In this connection, ASEAN welcomed China's commitment to increase its investment in ASEAN. We were pleased with the successful holding of the first and the second China-ASEAN Expo and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Nanning, China, which facilitated contacts among business people and promoted trade and investment between China and ASEAN. The envisioned China-ASEAN Free Trade Area is crystallizing.

 

5.         We noted with satisfaction the expansion of China-ASEAN cooperation from five to ten priority areas, namely, agriculture, information and communication technology (ICT), human resource development (HRD), two-way investment, Mekong River Basin development, transportation, energy, culture, tourism and public health, as well as the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs). These activities promoted closer cooperation in tackling new challenges such as natural disasters and communicable diseases and also more people-to-people contacts.

 

Moving into the Future Together

 

Strengthening the Strategic Partnership

 

6.         We believe that the achievements made in the past 15 years in China-ASEAN dialogue relations have been the result of adherence by both sides to the principles enshrined in the TAC, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, the Ten Principles of the Bandung Asian-African Conference, the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and other relevant international laws, treaties, and conventions. China and ASEAN relations will continue to be fully guided by these principles.

 

7.         Moving into the future, we agree to further enhance mutual trust and understanding and match the depth and breadth of cooperation with the objective of our strategic partnership to further enhance peace, development and prosperity to the region.

 

8.       We reaffirm our commitment to effectively implement:

 

the Joint Statement of the President of the People's Republic of China and the Heads of State/Government of the Member Countries of ASEAN 1997;

 

the Joint Declaration on the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity 2003;

 

the China-ASEAN Plan of Action 2004 to Implement Joint Declaration on the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity; and

 

Other Agreements/MOUs between China and ASEAN.

 

9.         We are committed to deepen collaboration in the ten priority areas of China-ASEAN cooperation. In enhancing our cooperation, we will also take into account the Report of the China-ASEAN Eminent Persons Group (EPG) of 2005.

 

10.     We, the Leaders of ASEAN, highly appreciated China's continued commitment to support ASEAN's community building efforts, including the implementation of the Plans of Action of the ASEAN Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, Vientiane Action Program (VAP), the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) and other ASEAN initiatives. In this context, ASEAN welcomed China's contribution of US$1 million to the ASEAN Development Fund (ADF) and China's funding assistance of US$1 million for IAI projects.

 

11.     We will work in concert to advance the strategic partnership, which would be a catalyst for dialogue relations between ASEAN and its Dialogue Partners and greatly contribute to regional peace and stability thereby ensuring continuous prosperity and progress for our peoples. To this end, we expressed our determination to achieve the following:

 

Political and Security Cooperation

 

12. We are committed to maintain high-level visits; strengthen cooperation and information sharing in non-traditional security issues; promote cooperation on criminal justice and law enforcement, including in anti-corruption efforts; encourage exchange of defense/security officials; work together in ensuring maritime security in the region; and strengthen regional cooperation on disaster management and emergency preparedness, including post-disaster reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts, with ASEAN taking the lead.

 

13. China supports and welcomes ASEAN's efforts to establish a Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon Free Zone. ASEAN appreciates China's intention to accede to the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon Free Zone and will continue to consult China on this matter.

 

14. We are also committed to effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and work towards the eventual adoption, on the basis of consensus, of a code of conduct in the South China Sea, which would enhance peace and stability in the region. 

 

15. We are also fully committed to support the realization of the ASEAN Security Community.

 

Economic Cooperation

 

16. We are determined to establish the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area by 2010 as scheduled; including trade in goods liberalization by 2010 for ASEAN-6 and China and by 2015 for Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam; work expeditiously towards agreements to progressively liberalize trade in services with substantial sectoral coverage and to promote investments by creating a liberal, facilitative, transparent and competitive investment regime in China and ASEAN, as envisioned in China-ASEAN Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation; establish the China-ASEAN Center for Trade, Investment and Tourism Promotion; promote the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and their participation in the regional economy; cooperate in ensuring energy security, efficiency, and development of alternative and renewable energy sources; strengthen cooperation in finance; deepen cooperation in tourism and travel; work towards a fully liberalized air services regime between China and ASEAN; and support the realization of the ASEAN Economic Community.

 

17. We encourage further cooperation between China and ASEAN in support of sub-regional developments, including the development of economic cooperation zones in areas covering southwestern China; BIMP-EAGA; ACMECS; IMT-GT; GMS; and the ASEAN Mekong Basin Development areas, including the completion of the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link (SKRL) and other areas.

 

Socio-Cultural Cooperation

 

18. We agreed to strengthen our socio-cultural cooperation by encouraging greater cooperation between institutions of secondary and higher education; increasing youth exchanges by initiating the China-ASEAN Young Leaders Conference, China-ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Association and China-ASEAN Young Civil Servants' Exchange Program as flagship projects; launching a prestigious China-ASEAN Scholarship; promoting scholarly exchanges; supporting the Center for ASEAN and China Studies; enhancing greater contacts between media personnel, academics and Track II institutions, parliamentarians and civil society; supporting the activities of the ASEAN Foundation in promoting greater people-to-people interaction; cooperating in public health to address the challenges of emerging infectious diseases; and supporting the realization, including projects and activities under the MoU between China and ASEAN on Cultural Cooperation, of the ASEAN Socio-cultural Community.

 

Regional and International Cooperation

 

19. We agree to continue to consult closely on sub-regional, regional and international issues and to cooperate in sub-regional, regional and international fora. We also reaffirm the establishment of the East Asia community as a long-term goal. China supports ASEAN's role as the driving force in regional processes, such as the ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN Plus Three and East Asia Summit. ASEAN believes that a stable, developing and prosperous China will contribute to peace, stability and sustainable growth for the development of the region and reaffirms its One-China Policy.

 

20. We tasked our Ministers and Senior Officials to realize the goals, initiatives and activities outlined in this Joint Statement.

 

Done in Nanning, China, on the Thirtieth Day of October in the Year Two Thousand and Six, in two original copies in the English language.

 

For the People's Republic of China: Wen Jiabao Premier

 

For Brunei Darussalam: Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Sultan of Brunei Darussalam

 

For the Kingdom of Cambodia: Samdech Hun Sen Prime Minister

 

For the Republic of Indonesia: Dr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono President

 

For the Lao People's Democratic Republic: Bouasone Bouphavanh Prime Minister

 

For Malaysia: Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Prime Minister

 

For the Union of Myanmar: General Soe Win Prime Minister

 

For the Republic of the Philippines: Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo President

 

For the Republic of Singapore: Lee Hsien Loong Prime Minister

 

For the Kingdom of Thailand: General Surayud Chulanont (RET.) Prime Minister

 

For the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam: Nguyen Tan Dung Prime Minister  

 

(Xinhua News Agency October 31, 2006)