ByZHANGYUNBIinBangkok
[email protected]S
tateCouncilor and Foreign
Minister Wang Yi confirmed
on July 31 thatChina and
members of theAssociation
of SoutheastAsian Nations have
finished the first reading of a draft
text of a key document regarding
the SouthChina Sea ahead of time.
Wang was referring to the most
recent progress on the single draft
negotiating text for an anticipated
pact — theCode ofConduct in the
SouthChina Sea.
Consultations over the pact were
launched byChina andASEANin
2013, and it aims to further boost
theSouthChinaSearegion’sstability
and peace.
Speaking at a news conference in
Bangkok, Thailand, Wang said that
in the past year,China andASEAN
members have been exploring ways
to bolster rule-based governance
of the SouthChina Sea, and they
advanced the consultations on the
code of conduct. Wang spoke after
attending the annualChina-ASEAN
foreignministers’meetingonJuly
in the Thai capital.
“Wewarmlywelcomedthecontin-
ued improving cooperation between
ASEANandChina,”saidajointcom-
munique issued after theASEANForeign Ministers’ Meeting, which
took place ahead of the 10 member
countries’ gathering withChina on
July 31.
TheASEAN countries “were
encouraged by the progress of the
substantive negotiations toward
the early conclusion of an effective
and substantiveCode ofConduct in
the SouthC hinaSea within a mutu-
ally agreed timeline”, the statement
said.
Wang explained to reporters thatwith the first reading, the text is
streamlined so that the framework
and essential elements of the text
become clearer and the structure
more reasonable.
The reading marks new, major
progress in the consultations on
the code and an important step
toward the goal of concluding the
consultations within three years,
he added.
Wang attributed the first read-
ing’s early completion to “the sin-cerity and determination of all par-
ties in the consultation”. He said the
achievement deserves to be cher-
ished, and it saves more time for the
following readings.
Before Wang’s meeting with the
ASEAN ministers, they all attended
a ceremony marking the start of the
China-ASEANYoungLeaders’Schol-
arship. The setting up of the schol-
arship was announced byChinese
Premier Li Keqiang in November
2018 in Singapore.Wang said, “Starting this Septem-
ber, about 100 scholars fromASEAN
countries will begin their study in
China.”
At the ceremony, Thai Foreign
Minister Don Pramudwinai and
Philippine Foreign Secretary Teo-
doro Lopez Locsin said they appre-
ciatedChina’s offering scholarships
to students fromASEAN countries
and that reinforced exchanges help
bolster mutual understanding and
trust.FirstreadingamajorsteptowardconcludingconsultationsonSouthChinaSeadocument
SeaCodeofConducttextadvances
ByZHANGYUNBITheAssociation of Southeast
Asian Nations andChina agreed to
forge closer ties during their foreign
ministers’ group and bilateral meet-
ings inBangkok on July 30 and 31.
ASEAN ministers said they are
willing to achieve synergy between
theBelt and Road Initiative and the
MasterPlanonASEANConnectivity
2025, and hopeChina will strength-
en participation inASEAN-centered
cooperation mechanisms.
StateCouncilor and Foreign Min-
ister Wang Yi saidChina-ASEAN
cooperation has broad prospects,
while both sides should strive for
a higher level of strategic partner-
shipandbuildaclosercommunityof
shared future under the guidance of
theChina-ASEAN Strategic Partner-
ship Vision 2030.
In his meeting with Thai Foreign
Minister Don Pramudwinai on July
31, Wang said thatChina and Thai-
land should pragmatically push for-
ward the construction of theChina-Thai railway, expand cooperation in
the digital economy and 5G commu-
nication technology, as well as press
forward third-party cooperation on
the high-speed rail in the Eastern
EconomicCorridor and smart city
projects, among others.
For his part, the Thai foreign min-
ister said that Thailand will conduct
high-level exchanges withChina,
jointlyimplementtheBeltand Road
Initiative, and expand cooperation
on economy and trade.
AstheASEAN chair this year,
Thailand will contribute to deepen-
ingASEAN-China cooperation, the
Thai foreign minister added.
Whilemeeting Lao Foreign Min-
ister Saleumxay Kommasith on July
31, Wang said thatChina and Laos
should deepen cooperation in vari-
ousareas,suchassharingexperience
instategovernanceandforgingflag-
shipBelt and Road projects.
Saleumxay expressed gratitude to
China for supporting the economic
and social development of Laos.
He said Laos is willing to boostcoordination and cooperation with
China on international and regional
issues.
On the same day, while meeting
with Singaporean Foreign Minister
VivianBalakrishnan, Wang said
China is ready to work with the city-
state to implement the consensus
reached by the leaders of the two
countries and deepenBelt and Road
cooperation,aswellasmakingprog-
ress on the New International Land-
Sea TradeCorridor.
Balakrishnan spoke highly of the
development ofChina-Singapore
relations, saying that the two sides
have witnessed close high-level con-
tacts and the deep connection of
development strategies of the two
countries.
The Singaporean foreign minis-
ter said his country will uphold the
one-China policy and continue to
play a constructive role in promot-
ing the relations betweenASEAN
andChina.
On July 30, bilateral cooperation
on oil and gas development washighlighted during Wang’s meeting
with Philippine Foreign Secretary
Teodoro Locsin.
WangsaidBeijingisreadytoboost
mutual trust with Manila and speed
up win-win cooperation in areas
including infrastructure, telecom-
munications and oil and gas devel-
opment.
The Philippines has served as the
rotating coordinator of ties between
China and the 10-memberASEAN,
andWangcommendedthecountry’s
contributions.
Manila is ready to bolster high-
level exchanges withBeijing,
improve mutual contacts and
embark on oil and gas cooperation,
Locsin said.
He said that both countries “are
abletohavesuchexchangesoffrank-
ness, friendliness and without (the)
smallest element of mistrust”, add-
ing, “We trust each other.”
In a separate meeting with Wang
on July 30, Indonesian Foreign
Minister Retno Marsudi said her
country is ready to foster high-lev-el exchanges and bolster political
trust.
Shesaid Indonesian President
Joko Widodo looks forward to visit-
ingChina and attending the second
China International Import Expo,
which will take place in Shanghai in
November.
WangsaidBeijingisreadytowork
with Jakarta to make preparations
for high-level exchanges in the next
stage, and bring the two-way coop-
eration to a higher ground.
When meeting on July 30 with
Prak Sokhon,Cambodia’s deputy
prime minister and minister of for-
eign affairs and international coop-
eration,Wangsaidthetwocountries
have seen their ties maintain rapid
growth, andChina stands ready to
promotebilateralcooperationonthe
Belt and Road Initiative.
Prak Sokhon said his country
appreciates the supportChina has
given to its economic and social
development, as well as support for
the development path chosen by
Cambodia.WangYi’sone-on-onemeetingswithforeignministersinBangkokhelpenhancemutualtrust
China,ASEANboostcooperation
State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (fifth from left) poses with ministerial-level officials from members of theAssociation of
SoutheastAsian Nations at theASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting inBangkok, Thailand, on July31.XINHUACHINADAILY GLOBAL WEEKLY August 2-8, 2019 CHINANEWS 5