Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao
and leaders of ASEAN members signed a joint statement Monday in Nanning
following the commemorative summit marking the 15th anniversary of the
establishment of China-ASEAN dialogue. Following is the full text of the
statement.
JOINT STATEMENT OF CHINA-ASEAN COMMEMORATIVE SUMMIT
Towards An Enhanced China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership
1. We, the Heads of State/Government of the People's Republic of China and
the Member Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
gathered on 30 October 2006 in the "Year of Friendship and Cooperation between
China and ASEAN" in Nanning, China, to commemorate the Fifteenth Anniversary of
the China-ASEAN dialogue relations.
Fifteen Years of Working and Growing Together
2. We reviewed the progress in China-ASEAN dialogue relations and expressed
satisfaction that this cooperation is comprehensive and deepening in many areas
of mutual interest. The strategic partnership for peace and prosperity between
China and ASEAN has not only vigorously boosted their own development and
brought tangible benefits to their peoples, but also contributed significantly
to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world at large. We are
confident that we have laid down a solid foundation for enhanced future
cooperation between China and ASEAN.
3. We highly appreciated the strengthened political and security cooperation
following the signing of the Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership for
Peace and Prosperity in 2003 in Bali, and the adoption of the China-ASEAN Plan
of Action in 2004 in Vientiane. We commended China for being the first Dialogue
Partner of ASEAN to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in
Southeast Asia in 2003 in Bali. We were pleased with the signing of the
Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) in 2002. The
China-ASEAN Joint Declaration in the Field of Non-Traditional Security Issues of
2002 also increased the cooperation in dealing with transnational crime.
4. We welcomed the positive effects of the China-ASEAN Framework Agreement on
Comprehensive Economic Cooperation signed in 2002 in Phnom Penh. In 2005, the
China-ASEAN trade volume reached 130.37 billion U.S. dollars. While the total
volume of ASEAN's actual investment in China reached 3.1 billion U.S. dollars,
China's investment in ASEAN increased to 158 million U.S. dollars in 2005. In
this connection, ASEAN welcomed China's commitment to increase its investment in
ASEAN. We were pleased with the successful holding of the first and the second
China- ASEAN EXPO and the China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in Nanning,
China, which facilitated contacts among business people and promoted trade and
investment between China and ASEAN. The envisioned China-ASEAN Free Trade Area
is crystallizing.
5. We noted with satisfaction the expansion of China-ASEAN cooperation from
five to ten priority areas, namely, agriculture, information and communication
technology (ICT), human resource development (HRD), two-way investment, Mekong
River Basin development, transportation, energy, culture, tourism and public
health, as well as the signing of several Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs).
These activities promoted closer cooperation in tackling new challenges such as
natural disasters and communicable diseases and also more people-to-people
contacts.
Moving into the Future Together
Strengthening the Strategic Partnership
6. We believe that the achievements made in the past 15 years in China-ASEAN
dialogue relations have been the result of adherence by both sides to the
principles enshrined in the TAC, the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence,
the Ten Principles of the Bandung Asian-African Conference, the purposes and
principles of the UN Charter and other relevant international laws, treaties,
and conventions. China and ASEAN relations will continue to be fully guided by
these principles.
7. Moving into the future, we agree to further enhance mutual trust and
understanding and match the depth and breadth of cooperation with the objective
of our strategic partnership to further enhance peace, development and
prosperity to the region.
8. We reaffirm our commitment to effectively implement:
the Joint Statement of the President of the People's Republic of China
and the Heads of State/Government of the Member Countries of ASEAN 1997;
the Joint Declaration on the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership for Peace and
Prosperity 2003;
the China-ASEAN Plan of Action 2004 to Implement Joint Declaration on the
China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity; and
Other Agreements/MOUs between China and ASEAN.
9. We are committed to deepen collaboration in the ten priority areas of
China-ASEAN cooperation. In enhancing our cooperation, we will also take into
account the Report of the China-ASEAN Eminent Persons Group (EPG) of 2005.
10. We, the Leaders of ASEAN, highly appreciated China's continued commitment
to support ASEAN's community building efforts, including the implementation of
the Plans of Action of the ASEAN Security Community, ASEAN Economic Community
and ASEAN Socio- Cultural Community, Vientiane Action Program (VAP), the
Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) and other ASEAN initiatives. In this
context, ASEAN welcomed China's contribution of one million U.S. dollars to the
ASEAN Development Fund (ADF) and China's funding assistance of one million U.S.
dollars for IAI projects.
11. We will work in concert to advance the strategic partnership, which would
be a catalyst for dialogue relations between ASEAN and its Dialogue Partners and
greatly contribute to regional peace and stability thereby ensuring continuous
prosperity and progress for our peoples. To this end, we expressed our
determination to achieve the following:
Political and Security Cooperation
12. We are committed to maintain high-level visits; strengthen cooperation
and information sharing in non-traditional security issues; promote cooperation
on criminal justice and law enforcement, including in anti-corruption efforts;
encourage exchange of defense/security officials; work together in ensuring
maritime security in the region; and strengthen regional cooperation on disaster
management and emergency preparedness, including post-disaster reconstruction
and rehabilitation efforts, with ASEAN taking the lead.
13. China supports and welcomes ASEAN's efforts to establish a Southeast Asia
Nuclear-Weapon Free Zone. ASEAN appreciates China's intention to accede to the
Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon Free Zone and will
continue to consult China on this matter.
14. We are also committed to effectively implement the Declaration on the
Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and work towards the eventual
adoption, on the basis of consensus, of a code of conduct in the South China
Sea, which would enhance peace and stability in the region.
15. We are also fully committed to support the realization of the ASEAN
Security Community.
Economic Cooperation
16. We are determined to establish the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area by 2010 as
scheduled; including trade in goods liberalization by 2010 for ASEAN-6 and China
and by 2015 for Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Viet Nam; work expeditiously
towards agreements to progressively liberalize trade in services with
substantial sectoral coverage and to promote investments by creating a liberal,
facilitative, transparent and competitive investment regime in China and ASEAN,
as envisioned in China-ASEAN Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic
Cooperation; establish the China-ASEAN Center for Trade, Investment and Tourism
Promotion; promote the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and
their participation in the regional economy; cooperate in ensuring energy
security, efficiency, and development of alternative and renewable energy
sources; strengthen cooperation in finance; deepen cooperation in tourism and
travel; work towards a fully liberalized air services regime between China and
ASEAN; and support the realization of the ASEAN Economic Community.
17. We encourage further cooperation between China and ASEAN in support of
sub-regional developments, including the development of economic cooperation
zones in areas covering southwestern China; BIMP-EAGA; ACMECS; IMT-GT; GMS; and
the ASEAN Mekong Basin Development areas, including the completion of the
Singapore- Kunming Rail Link (SKRL) and other areas.
Socio-Cultural Cooperation
18. We agreed to strengthen our socio-cultural cooperation by encouraging
greater cooperation between institutions of secondary and higher education;
increasing youth exchanges by initiating the China-ASEAN Young Leaders
Conference, China-ASEAN Young Entrepreneurs Association and China-ASEAN Young
Civil Servants' Exchange Program as flagship projects; launching a prestigious
China-ASEAN Scholarship; promoting scholarly exchanges; supporting the Center
for ASEAN and China Studies; enhancing greater contacts between media personnel,
academics and Track II institutions, parliamentarians and civil society;
supporting the activities of the ASEAN Foundation in promoting greater
people-to-people interaction; cooperating in public health to address the
challenges of emerging infectious diseases; and supporting the realization,
including projects and activities under the MoU between China and ASEAN on
Cultural Cooperation, of the ASEAN Socio-cultural Community.
Regional and International Cooperation
19. We agree to continue to consult closely on sub-regional, regional and
international issues and to cooperate in sub-regional, regional and
international fora. We also reaffirm the establishment of the East Asia
community as a long-term goal. China supports ASEAN's role as the driving force
in regional processes, such as the ASEAN Regional Forum, ASEAN Plus Three and
East Asia Summit. ASEAN believes that a stable, developing and prosperous China
will contribute to peace, stability and sustainable growth for the development
of the region and reaffirms its One-China Policy.
20. We tasked our Ministers and Senior Officials to realize the goals,
initiatives and activities outlined in this Joint Statement.
Done in Nanning, China, on the Thirtieth Day of October in the Year Two
Thousand and Six, in two original copies in the English language.
For the People's Republic of China: WEN JIABAO Premier
For Brunei Darussalam: HAJI HASSANAL BOLKIAH Sultan of Brunei Darussalam
For the Kingdom of Cambodia: SAMDECH HUN SEN Prime Minister
For the Republic of Indonesia: DR. SUSILO BAMBANG YUDHOYONO President
For the Lao People's Democratic Republic: BOUASONE BOUPHAVANH Prime Minister
For Malaysia: DATO' SERI ABDULLAH AHMAD BADAWI Prime Minister
For the Union of Myanmar: GENERAL SOE WIN Prime Minister
For the Republic of the Philippines: GLORIA MACAPAGAL- ARROYO President
For the Republic of Singapore: LEE HSIEN LOONG Prime Minister
For the Kingdom of Thailand: GENERAL SURAYUD CHULANONT ( RET.) Prime Minister
For the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam: NGUYEN TAN DUNG Prime Minister
