KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Xinhua) -- A think tank report analyzing the opportunities for cooperation between China and ASEAN under the two frameworks of RCEP and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and putting forward the vision of working toward a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future has received positive feedback from experts.

The report, titled RCEP and the Vision of the Maritime Silk Road: New Frontiers for China-ASEAN Cooperation, was released in the Malaysian capital on Friday by Xinhua Institute, a think tank affiliated with the Xinhua News Agency.

Highlighting the report's comprehensive review of the fruitful cooperation between China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) with vivid cases and detailed data, Chen Zhong, vice general manager of China Communications Construction Group, said: "The report delves into the synergy between the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and China-ASEAN Belt and Road cooperation, a synergy which is injecting strong momentum into China-ASEAN cooperation."

Along the ancient Silk Road, merchants and envoys formed close ties. Nowadays, RCEP and the Maritime Silk Road cooperation have strengthened land-sea connectivity and synergy. In recent years, China-ASEAN cooperation has yielded significant progress in building a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home, and the momentum of the comprehensive strategic partnership continues to grow robustly.

"China has become the most dynamic of ASEAN's dialogue partners," said Abdul Majid Ahmad Khan, president of the Malaysia-China Friendship Association.

Standing by each other through thick and thin, and embracing mutual benefit and inclusiveness, China and ASEAN have together written a vibrant chapter of good-neighborly friendship and shared development with concrete actions, said Meng Qingguo, the executive president of Institute for Governance Studies at Tsinghua University.

"China and ASEAN should establish a closer cooperation mechanism, making a better mutual exchange of governance experience, economic, trade and industrial development," Wirun Phichaiwongphakdee, director of the Thailand-China Research Center of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The think tank report not only summarizes past experience, but also reflects on the future of China-ASEAN cooperation in the context of the vision of RCEP and the Maritime Silk Road, Phichaiwongphakdee said.

While looking at the macro-strategies, the report also proposes concrete pathways like "small yet smart" projects, transport routes as well as the aligning of rules, and highlights such themes as regional integration, connectivity and win-win development. Thus, it dovetails perfectly with the prevailing trend of regional cooperation, Phichaiwongphakdee added.

"A tree can only grow with strong roots," said Neak Chandarith, director of the Cambodia 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Research Center, quoting an old Cambodian proverb to emphasize the importance of focusing on the youth development and deepening education cooperation for building a Cambodia-China community with a shared future.

Noting that what flows between countries is not only goods, but also knowledge and skills under Belt and Road cooperation, he stressed that education could serve as a fundamental force to empower Cambodian youth and further solidify the enduring Cambodia-China partnership that transcends politics and time.

The report has also sparked lively discussions on how media and think tanks can play a more effective role in advancing China-ASEAN cooperation.

"The media and think tanks have contributed greatly to the development of China-ASEAN relations," said Ye Xingyi, a professor on China-ASEAN study at Guangxi Minzu University, adding that think tanks in universities look forward to in-depth cooperation with media and think tanks to contribute wisdom and strength to promoting the construction of a China-ASEAN community with a shared future.

Echoing Ye, Wu Wei, founding dean of the Graduate School of Public Administration of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said that media and think tanks can highlight the importance of RCEP in promoting regional economic and trade development, and show the accomplishments of the Maritime Silk Road.

Veronika Sintha Saraswati, head of the International Relations Program at the Institute for China-Indonesia Partnership Studies, said: "Civilization is not a static monument, but a vivid dialogue."

China-ASEAN cooperation is an important force not only for regional prosperity, but also for global development. As globalization faces mounting challenges, the insights and suggestions of the report on building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future were well received by scholars.

Ong Tee Keat, president of the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific, said that RCEP is set to accelerate the regional economic integration of China and ASEAN, empowered by the vision of the Maritime Silk Road, so that it will continue to be a strong defender of the free trade system and multilateral cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, creating new opportunities for the long-standing friendly cooperation between the two sides.

"I hope and firmly believe that by deepening ASEAN-China cooperation, we can foster a sense of mission and take actions for building a better future, such as eradicating poverty and protecting peace and prosperity for the Global South and the entire planet," said Thida Tin, director general of the Media Development Department of Myanmar's Ministry of Information. Enditem

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