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A Chinese ambassador on Saturday urged here concerted efforts from China and the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to jointly push forward their ties and cooperation.
"From APEC to the series of meetings for East Asian leaders, and to G20, the development of Asia-Pacific made their ways to the headlines of the press and Asia-Pacific cooperation seized the attention of the world," Yang Xiuping, the Chinese ambassador to ASEAN, told the ASEAN Development Forum.
The forum gathered officials, scholars and business leaders from the 10 ASEAN members and China under the theme of "building mutual trust and a China-ASEAN community of common destiny."
Ambassador Yang said China and ASEAN have been shaping the Asia- Pacific cooperation structure, moving forward the Asia-Pacific cooperation process and leading the Asia-Pacific cooperation agenda since China became a dialogue partner of ASEAN.
While reviewing the remarkable achievements made in bilateral cooperation over the past 23 years, she put forward a four-point proposal in further promoting the China-ASEAN ties.
The ambassador recommended the two sides continue enhancing their mutual trust.
"The key to enhancing mutual trust between China and ASEAN is to ensure adequate awareness and confidence of each other's development path and strategy direction," Yang said.
The initiatives launched by China on building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and establishing an Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank are designed to boost mutual benefit and win-win cooperation with ASEAN as a major stakeholder and beneficiary.
"China is ready to engage in frank and in-depth dialogue with ASEAN on cooperation policies and details to enhance mutual trust and cooperation," the ambassador stressed.
The ambassador elaborated China's stance on the South China Sea issue. "China supports and advocates a 'dual-track approach' for dealing with the South China Sea issue - relevant disputes being addressed by countries directly concerned through consultations and negotiations in a peaceful way, and peace and stability in the South China Sea being jointly maintained by China and ASEAN countries."said.
As for the maritime disputes with the Philippines, the ambassador said Beijing has released a position paper on the matter of jurisdiction in the South China Sea arbitration filed by Manila.
"The Arbitral Tribunal does not have jurisdiction over this case and the Chinese government will neither accept nor participate in the arbitration," Yang said, accusing the Philippines of violating its obligation under international law.
"The subject-matter of the arbitration constitutes an integral part of maritime delimitation between the two countries, thus falling within the scope of the declaration filed by China in 2006, which excludes, inter alia, disputes concerning maritime delimitation from compulsory arbitration and other compulsory dispute settlement procedures," the ambassador said.
According to the ambassador, China and ASEAN countries have remained committed to fully and effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and have agreed to work towards the early conclusion of a code of conduct in the sea on the basis of consensus.
China has also proposed 2015 be designated as the "Year of China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation" with a view to benefiting the coastal people of the South China Sea through functional cooperation.
Established in 1967, ASEAN now groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam as a regional bloc in Southeast Asia.
Second, Yang said both sides should keep the orientation of strategic cooperation.
China and ASEAN have made great achievements in the "golden decade" of their strategic partnership since 2003 when they forged such a relationship.
"If the cooperative advantages are to be maintained in the second 10 years, we must hold on to the trend and main threads," she said. Measures should be taken in expediting economic transition and industrial upgrade, improving cooperation on connectivity, boosting trade and investment, and enhancing multilateral cooperation on security.
Meanwhile, the ambassador suggested China and ASEAN closely bridge their cooperation processes.
"Next year, the ASEAN Community will become reality and the negotiations on upgrading China-ASEAN FTA will see a good chance to conclude," she said, adding that China will also start working with ASEAN to formulate a new plan of action for cooperation.
China will provide ASEAN with 10 billion U.S. dollars in concessional loans to boost functional cooperation with ASEAN in various areas, 3 billion RMB in assistance to support less- developed ASEAN countries narrowing development gap, 50 million RMB in aid to support ASEAN Community building, and will offer 30 million RMB in support of economic and technical cooperation under the China-ASEAN FTA framework in the coming three years, according to Yang.
"After realization of the ASEAN Community, China and ASEAN will become the second and seventh largest economy of the world as well as the top two developing economies," she said. "Our side by side development and strengthened cooperation will be of farreaching significance, regionally and even globally."
The ASEAN Community, envisaged to be built by the end of 2015, will cover some 600 million people with a combined GDP of 2 trillion U.S. dollars.
The Chinese ambassador also expressed her hope that both sides could maintain the order for regional cooperation.
"China and ASEAN share common interests in advancing the democratization of international relations and the establishment of a more just and rational new international order," Yang said. "Given the profound changes in the regional cooperation, China and ASEAN should bear in mind the common interests of East Asia and work together to ensure its healthy and stable development," the ambassador said.
"China supports open regional cooperation and stands ready to engage in close communication with the United States and other major powers on the basis of mutual respect to develop a pattern of positive interaction and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific."
