Kuala Lumpur, July 10 (AseanAll)  — On July 10, 2025, the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting was held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-chaired the meeting with the representative of the Country Coordinator for China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations. Foreign ministers of ASEAN member states, ASEAN observers and the Secretary-General of ASEAN attended the meeting.

Wang Yi said that China and ASEAN share similar visions for development, common demands, and converging interests. China regards ASEAN as a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy and a pioneer area for building a community with a shared future for mankind. The two sides should support each other and help each other succeed in advancing the modernization process of Asia. China will always remain the most trustworthy force for stability in a turbulent world and the most reliable partner for ASEAN countries in meeting challenges.

Wang Yi briefed the achievements of China-ASEAN cooperation and put forward four suggestions:

First, to act as a model in defending international fairness and justice. The two sides should firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order underpinned by international law. China supports ASEAN centrality in the regional architecture and its greater role in regional and international affairs. China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to practice open regionalism and true multilateralism, and make greater contributions to regional and global governance.

Second, to act as a model for safeguarding regional peace and stability. In the turbulent world today, peace and stability in the region are particularly precious and must be firmly protected. No geopolitical conflicts or bloc confrontations should be allowed to infiltrate the Asian home. The two sides should continue resolving disputes and differences through dialogue and consultation, so as to maintain a sound environment for common development. China is willing to take the lead in signing the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone. The South China Sea is a shared home for countries in the region, not an arena for major power rivalry. China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to expand cooperation in areas such as marine environmental protection, navigation safety, maritime law enforcement, and key marine infrastructure, and jointly foster a new narrative of cooperation, stability, and friendship in the South China Sea. The two sides should fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, advance consultations on a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), and always keep the initiative on the South China Sea issue in the hands of regional countries.

Third, to set an example of conducting mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation. China is ready to work with ASEAN to jointly build the  Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, promote high-quality implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and create a high-level free trade network. China will continue to take the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as the main platform to strengthen connectivity and cooperation in industrial and supply chains with ASEAN, and create highlights of cooperation in artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and clean energy. China appreciates ASEAN's firm commitment to upholding free trade and the multilateral trading system, and believes that it is necessary to resolve economic and trade differences through equal-footed dialogue and in a mutually beneficial way, and safeguard one's own dignity, principles and bottom lines, never doing so at the expense of the interests of any third party.

Fourth, to set an example for promoting inclusiveness and mutual learning. China is willing to work with ASEAN countries to continue advocating for dialogue, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations, and jointly build an Asian family that promotes harmony, inclusiveness, and respect for differences. Both sides should jointly organize activities for the Year of People-to-People Exchanges, enhance exchanges in education, youth, think tanks, media and other fields, take concrete actions to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, and promote mutual understanding, amity and affinity among the peoples.

All parties gave positive evaluations of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and ASEAN, and highly recognized that the cooperation effectively enhanced people's well-being. 

Participating countries said that China-ASEAN cooperation is the most dynamic and productive one, and that China has always been one of the most important dialogue partners of ASEAN. They expressed gratitude for China's support of ASEAN centrality. They welcomed practical cooperation initiatives proposed by China and expressed their willingness to accelerate the synergy of development strategies with China, advance high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, and deepen all-round cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, digital transformation, clean energy, and combating transnational crime. They look forward to the signing of the protocol to the Version 3.0 ASEAN-China Free Trade Area within the year, which will further advance regional economic integration. They appreciated China's willingness to take the lead in signing the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone. They look forward to the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea by all parties. They expressed willingness to work with the Chinese side to jointly uphold multilateralism and the multilateral trading system, and work together to address global challenges. ASEAN agreed with China's proposal to designate 2026 as the "Theme Year for the 5th Anniversary of the Establishment of the China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" and hold celebration activities. ASEAN agreed to adopt and implement the Plan of Action to Implement the China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. ASEAN is willing to further strengthen solidarity and cooperation with China, jointly advance the modernization process in Asia, and promote regional peace, stability and prosperity.

During the meeting, Wang Yi met with foreign ministers of relevant countries.