Refusing to choose sides and stand by ASEAN, adhering to unity and self centeredness in developing sides and standing by ASEAN

Xinhua News Agency, Jakarta, July 16th. ASEAN refuses to choose sides and insists on unity and independent development

Xinhua News Agency reporter Liu Kai Wang Aona

The 56th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting and its series of meetings were recently held in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. The participants expressed their determination to work together to promote regional economic integration, reiterated their determination to maintain regional peace and stability, and emphasized the need to maintain the unity and central position of ASEAN and not become the agent of any country.

ASEAN officials and scholars believe that ASEAN adheres to the spirit of independence, openness, and inclusiveness, focuses on the economy, and emphasizes cooperation. Especially since China and ASEAN are each other's largest trading partners, cooperation should be further strengthened, and we look forward to continuous progress in the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two sides.

On September 19, 2022, visitors visited the ASEAN and RCEP boutique exhibition areas at the East China Expo. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhou Hua

Taking the Road of Mutual Benefit and Win Win

Indonesia is the rotating presidency of ASEAN this year. In addition to the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, multilateral and bilateral events such as the China ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting, the ASEAN China Japan South Korea Foreign Ministers Meeting, and the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers Meeting were also held in Jakarta.

In the joint communiqu é released by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting after the meeting, it was stated that promoting the ASEAN Indo Pacific outlook to promote regional security, stability, and prosperity is one of the top priorities for ASEAN in 2023; ASEAN is willing to expand its relationships with various partners and is committed to making ASEAN an inclusive, participatory, and collaborative community.

Indonesian President Joko stated that ASEAN has population and resource advantages, enormous potential for economic growth, and needs to strengthen cooperation with all parties to embark on a mutually beneficial and win-win path.

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno said that the long-term peace, stability, and prosperity of the ASEAN region have been built on an inclusive regional architecture. ASEAN should continue to maintain unity and create a paradigm for regional cooperation.

In June this year, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement came into full force for 10 ASEAN countries and 15 signatory countries including Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand. This agreement ultimately achieves zero tariffs on over 90% of goods traded within the region. Since the agreement came into effect, exports from multiple ASEAN countries to RCEP member countries have significantly increased. A study by the Philippine Development Research Institute predicts that joining RCEP will lead to a total economic growth of approximately 2% in the Philippines.

Lili Yang Ying, Chief Advisor for Southeast Asia at the Indonesian Institute of ASEAN and East Asian Economics, stated that the full implementation of RCEP is a vivid case of ASEAN's continued expansion of cooperation and opening up, and promotion of economic integration. ASEAN allows member countries to seek diverse partnerships, which helps maintain the overall cohesion and vitality of ASEAN.

Enterprises from RCEP member countries made their debut at the 3rd Consumer Expo. On April 12, 2023, visitors visited the booth of Singaporean company Yu Rensheng to learn about their products. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Zecong

"Not acting as an agent for any country"

According to US media reports, US officials frequently "warn" ASEAN officials during meetings, with the aim of provoking their relationship with China.

During the meeting, many ASEAN members expressed that regional countries have no intention of choosing sides and instead insist on maintaining ASEAN's central position. The joint communiqu é of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting also emphasized the principle of non alignment.

Zoko stated that ASEAN cannot become a game field, nor can it become an agent for any country. Instead, it must abide by international law, strive to strengthen unity, and maintain regional peace and stability.

Leteno also said that the ASEAN region should not become another battlefield, and ASEAN countries should not only become net contributors to economic growth, but also contributors to peace.

Veronica Sharaswati, a researcher at the Indonesian Center for International Strategic Studies, believes that the United States' series of military deployments and "cliques" in the ASEAN region pose a challenge to the central position of ASEAN. The intention of Western countries is to divide ASEAN, rather than maintain its stability. ASEAN should reduce its reliance on Western countries in the fields of defense and politics.

Lily Yang Ying recently wrote an article on the World Press Syndicate website, pointing out that it is very unfair and short-sighted to demand ASEAN countries to "decouple" from China. Decoupling will disrupt trade and economic development within ASEAN, exacerbating political instability in the entire region.

On September 18, 2022, visitors will visit the "the Belt and Road" international exhibition area of the East China Expo. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhou Hua

Looking forward to new progress in China ASEAN cooperation

This year marks the 20th anniversary of China's accession to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. Over the past 20 years, China and ASEAN have actively practiced the purposes and principles of the treaty, expanded mutually beneficial cooperation in all aspects, and successfully embarked on a correct path of long-term neighborly friendship, common development and prosperity.

As neighbors and partners, China and ASEAN have achieved fruitful results in economic and trade cooperation. China and ASEAN are each other's largest trading partners, with a total bilateral trade value of 6.52 trillion yuan in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 15%. China is also the largest source of investment for multiple ASEAN countries, and its investment scale in ASEAN has been continuously increasing in recent years. ASEAN investment in China has also maintained a high growth rate, with a year-on-year increase of 8.2% in 2022.

ASEAN officials and scholars have expressed their expectation that the comprehensive strategic partnership between ASEAN and China will continue to reach new levels and achieve new results.

Singapore's Foreign Minister Vivin said that China and ASEAN jointly build the "the Belt and Road" cooperation to bring tangible benefits to both sides. Singapore looks forward to enhancing mutual trust between China and ASEAN, and jointly promoting stability and prosperity. Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pei Qingshan said that he will continue to promote the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and China and hopes to expand exports to China.

The Chairman of Malaysia's New Asia Strategic Research Center and former Minister of Transport, Ong Shijie, believes that China and ASEAN can focus on developing cooperation in areas such as digital economy, green and low-carbon economy, and blue ocean economy, and jointly promote sustainable economic development.