Asia’s Stability Key To Global Peace - Wang Yi

By Chiang Hee Tze

KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 (Bernama) -- Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Asia’s stability is key to global stability and reaffirmed that China continues to prioritise ASEAN in its neighbourhood diplomacy amid the growing momentum of the Global South.

He said China remains committed to the principles of good-neighbourliness, peace and prosperity, to uphold the concept of ‘shared destiny,’ and collaborate with ASEAN to promote values of peace, cooperation, openness and inclusiveness. 

“In this time of global change, facing choices of unity or division and peace or conflict, we must learn from history and promote a fair, orderly world with inclusive economic globalisation," he said in his opening remarks at the ASEAN-China Post-Ministerial Conference held in conjunction with the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and related meetings here, on Thursday.

The meeting was chaired by Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan as Chair of the 58th AMM.

Wang said this year marks a milestone for ASEAN’s development and revitalisation.

He said that with the adoption of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and Timor-Leste’s imminent accession, ASEAN is advancing toward greater unity and collective strength in addressing challenges.

He also noted that this year also marks a fruitful year for China-ASEAN cooperation.

This includes the completion of the negotiations on the China-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) Version 3.0, with the signing of the protocol expected later this year.

He also pointed to the ASEAN-China-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit as a pioneering model of cross-regional collaboration. The tri-party summit was held for the first time in conjunction with the 46th ASEAN Summit in May this year. 

“We have finalised the third reading of the Code of Conduct (COC), effectively managing differences and safeguarding overall maritime stability.

“China has deepened security collaboration with Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and other partners to jointly combat online gambling, scams and transnational crimes,” Wang said.

The Foreign Minister also highlighted Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visits to Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia in April as key diplomatic engagements that elevated bilateral ties and deepened people-to-people connections.

“For two consecutive years, we have hosted over a hundred cultural and people-to-people exchange programmes.

“The Lancang-Mekong visa and ASEAN visa have been officially implemented, greatly facilitating travel for family visits and personal exchanges,” Wang said.

-- BERNAMA