JAKARTA, 5 March 2021 – ASEAN and China reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen their Strategic Partnership as both sides celebrate the 30th anniversary of the relations this year.

This was stressed at the 22nd ASEAN-China Joint Cooperation Committee (JCC) meeting held via video conference, today.

A series of commemorative activities will be held this year, including the plan to convene a commemorative summit and the issuance of a joint statement at the summit aimed at further strengthening the partnership.

This year has also been designated as the ASEAN-China Year of Sustainable Development Cooperation. Various activities will be conducted throughout the year to enhance cooperation in areas such as climate change impact mitigation, combating marine debris, promoting clean energy, poverty eradication and disaster management.

At the JCC meeting, both sides took note of the implementation of the ASEAN-China Plan of Action for the period 2016-2020, with significant progress made in areas such as political-security cooperation, trade, transport, tourism, ICT, digital economy, education, public health, culture and information, media, environment and sustainable development, and narrowing the development gap.

The implementation of the new Plan of Action for the period 2021-2025, which is designed to further strengthen ASEAN-China cooperation in the next five years, has also made initial progress.

Both sides agreed to work closely to implement decisions and initiatives made by Leaders at the 23rd ASEAN-China Summit last year, including; strengthening trade and investment relations through the implementation of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area Upgrade Protocol; enhancing regional connectivity and the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement.

The meeting highlighted ASEAN-China collaborative efforts in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as China’s support for ASEAN and ASEAN Member States in mitigating the impacts of the pandemic, including support for ASEAN’s initiatives such as its contribution to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund.

The Permanent Representative of the Philippines to ASEAN Ambassador Noel Servigon and Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to ASEAN Deng Xijun.The co-chaired the meeting. Permanent Representatives of ASEAN Member States and the Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Political-Security Community were in attendance.

*******

Source link