Hand in hand for better future

Cooperation remains dominant theme in China-ASEAN ties while talks with some nations on South China Sea will go on

Editor's note: The following is Vice-Foreign Minister Fu Ying's recent interview with Xinhua News Agency on China-ASEAN relations.

Q1. More than 20 years have passed since China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations established a dialogue partnership. China has often characterized China-ASEAN cooperation as mutually beneficial in nature. Could you list some examples of such mutually beneficial cooperation?

Fu: China-ASEAN relations have come a long way in the 21 years since the start of their dialogue partnership in 1991. All through these years, China and ASEAN have remained committed to the spirit of good neighborliness, friendship, and mutual benefit despite changes in the international situation.

China-ASEAN political relations have made much progress. Of all ASEAN dialogue partners, China is the first to sign the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and the first to establish a strategic partnership with ASEAN. The recent establishment of China's permanent ASEAN mission in Jakarta, Indonesia, and the appointment of Yang Xiuping as China's first resident ambassador to ASEAN will enhance China's interaction with ASEAN at the institutional level.

Trade and economic cooperation between the two sides has become ever closer. The largest free trade area (FTA) among developing countries has been established. China-ASEAN cooperation now covers more than 20 fields, and the first China-ASEAN action plan for strategic partnership has been smoothly implemented. The two sides have also set up platforms for exchanges and cooperation such as the China-ASEAN Expo and the ASEAN-China Center.

China-ASEAN exchanges in socio-cultural and people-to-people areas have been thriving. In 2011, the exchange of personnel between the two sides reached 13.63 million person times. About 50,000 students from ASEAN countries are currently studying in China, while 70,000 Chinese students are studying in ASEAN countries.

The two sides are working to realize the goals of 15 million personnel exchanges by 2015 and 100,000 students in each other's countries by 2020. China and ASEAN have also made joint efforts to tackle the two financial crises and a series of natural disasters and outbreaks of infectious diseases.

China has been consistently dedicated to common development and mutual benefit with ASEAN. While maintaining economic and social development at home, China has increased support to ASEAN community building by setting up the China-ASEAN Cooperation Fund, Asian regional cooperation fund, China-ASEAN Fund on Investment Cooperation and China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund.

China has tried to help ASEAN to realize food security through programs like the China-ASEAN action plan on comprehensive food productivity enhancement. To date, China has provided training for tens of thousands of ASEAN personnel.

On the other hand, ASEAN has contributed to China's reform, opening-up and social progress. It supported China's accession to the World Trade Organization and increased investment in China, including through setting up industrial parks in China.

The development of China-ASEAN relations serves the interest of peoples on both sides. It also contributes to peace, stability and prosperity in East Asia and the world at large, and to the realization of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, setting a good example of friendship and win-win cooperation among developing countries.

Q2. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement between China and ASEAN that started their free trade process. What progress have the two sides made in their economic and trade relations? What measures will China take to work with ASEAN to maintain continued economic and social development in the region?

Fu: China-ASEAN economic and trade cooperation has been booming. The bilateral trade volume rose from less than $10 billion in 1991 to $362.8 billion in 2011, representing an average annual increase of more than 20 percent. The launch of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area in 2010 has, in particular, greatly facilitated economic and trade cooperation between the two sides.

China has become the largest trading partner of ASEAN, and ASEAN the third largest for China. Their cooperation in mutual investment and finance is also showing strong momentum of growth. By the end of 2011, the total volume of mutual investment between the two sides had reached $85.1 billion, while fast growing Chinese investment in ASEAN reached $15.1 billion. In recent years, China-ASEAN economic cooperation has expanded into areas like high technology, green industry, circular economy and sustainable development.

In 1997, China worked with ASEAN to tackle the Asian financial crisis. China persisted in not devaluing the renminbi, thus contributing to regional economic and financial stability. During the recent global financial crisis in 2008, China took a series of initiatives to support sustained and healthy economic development in ASEAN. These include the establishment of the China-ASEAN Fund on Investment Cooperation and the provision of $25 billion credit support to ASEAN.

The two sides also signed an agreement on the multilateralization of the Chiang Mai Initiative, and made efforts to make it more effective.

As the world economy faces more downward pressure, the impact on our region has become more serious. China will continue to work with ASEAN in the spirit of mutual help and mutual benefit to address this challenge by improving FTA development, facilitating greater trade and investment, exploring the market demand in the region and expanding mutual investment. China will also send trade promotion missions to ASEAN member states, set up ASEAN commodity exhibition centers in Nanning, the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, and Yiwu, Zhejiang province, to increase imports from ASEAN.

The Ninth China-ASEAN Expo and Business and Investment Summit will open on Sept 21 this year to showcase well-known brands and companies as well as unique goods of ASEAN member states in a series of trade promotion events. These steps are being taken to advance China-ASEAN cooperation in the light of recent developments by giving full play to ASEAN's strengths in resources and industries.