Chinese FM meets ASEAN diplomatic envoys

BEIJING - Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with diplomatic envoys of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) countries on Sunday in Beijing.

Wang said that since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese President Xi Jinping has maintained close communication and mutual support with ASEAN leaders to further consolidate and deepen bilateral friendly cooperation. The two sides will soon jointly hold a summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations between China and ASEAN countries. This will be a milestone meeting to chart the course for the development of bilateral relations in the next 30 years.

Wang said China will continue to provide vaccine support to ASEAN countries until the pandemic is completely defeated, and China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to focus on development and make positive contributions to this end.

China and ASEAN countries have always placed the South China Sea issue in an appropriate position in the bilateral relations and promoted the deepening and development of bilateral cooperation, Wang added.

Noting that next year marks the 20th anniversary of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), Wang expressed the hope that the two sides will take this opportunity to advance consultations on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea on the basis of the comprehensive and effective implementation of the DOC, jointly uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea and seek win-win cooperation.

The diplomatic envoys of ASEAN countries in China congratulated on the success of the sixth plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, and expressed their hope to work with China to jointly hold a successful summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of the dialogue relations, seize opportunities and cooperate to meet challenges.