Chairman’s Statement of the 27th ASEAN-China Summit
Vientiane, Lao PDR
10 OCTOBER 2024
1. The 27th ASEAN-China Summit was held on 10 October 2024, in Vientiane. The Summit was chaired by H.E. Mr. Sonexay Siphandone, Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic. The Summit was attended by ASEAN Member States, H.E. Mr. Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China, as well as the Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste as Observer. The Secretary-General of ASEAN was also in attendance.
2. We reiterated our support for the Lao PDR’s priorities for its ASEAN Chairmanship 2024 under the theme “ASEAN: Enhancing Connectivity and Resilience,” which reaffirmed ASEAN’s commitment to strengthening the ASEAN Community through intensifying ASEAN cooperation under the three community pillars, promoting infrastructure connectivity, narrowing the development gap, enhancing economic integration and people-to-people exchanges, and further strengthening ASEAN’s relations with external partners, while maintaining ASEAN’s relevance and ASEAN Centrality in the evolving regional architecture. We congratulated Lao PDR on the successful convening of the 57th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings, from 21 to 27 July 2024, in Vientiane, Lao PDR.
3. We reaffirmed our shared commitment to continuing to strengthen the ASEANChina Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP), which plays a significant role in maintaining peace, security, stability and prosperity in the region. We noted with satisfaction the significant progress made in the implementation of the Plan of Action (POA) to Implement the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity (2021-2025) and its Annex to advance the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). Noting that the current POA will be concluded by the end of 2025, we looked forward to the timely development of the succeeding POA for 2026-2030 for its adoption next year.
4. We acknowledged ASEAN and China’s active efforts to strengthen ASEAN-China cooperation, including China’s vision to build a closer ASEAN-China community with a shared future and taking note of China’s initiative to build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home in the region. We welcomed China’s willingness to sign and ratify the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone without reservations.
5. We reiterated our commitment to advancing cooperation in the four priority areas identified in the ASEAN-Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) to strengthen trust and cooperation among countries in the region, and mutually beneficial cooperation between the AOIP and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), as well as exploring development cooperation with the Global Development Initiative (GDI) to complement the realisation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2025, support the ongoing ASEAN Community-building efforts, and further strengthen existing ASEAN-led mechanisms. To this end, we looked forward to the effective implementation of the Joint Statement on Mutually Beneficial Cooperation on the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific adopted at the 26th ASEAN-China Summit in September 2023.
6. We acknowledged China’s active engagement with ASEAN in advancing collaboration and strengthening political and security cooperation through its participation in various ASEAN-led mechanisms, including the ASEAN Plus Three (APT), the East Asia Summit (EAS), the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), and the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus), and the Expanded ASEAN Maritime Forum (EAMF). We appreciated China’s co-chairmanship of the ADMM-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Humanitarian Mine Action (EWG on HMA) in the 2021-2024 cycle together with Cambodia. We welcomed China’s readiness to co-chair the ADMM-Plus EWG on Peacekeeping Operations with Brunei Darussalam in the 2024-2027 cycle. We further welcomed China’s readiness to co-chair the Regional Workshop on Implementing the Biological Weapons Convention and Promoting Biosafety and Biosecurity in Southeast Asia with Lao PDR in October 2024. We also welcomed China’s co-chairmanships of meetings and activities under the auspices of the ARF, including the 16th ARF Inter-Sessional Meeting on Maritime Security (ISM on MS) with Cambodia in the Inter-Sessional Year 2024–2025.
7. We commended mutual commitment to addressing the regional challenges posed by landmines, unexploded ordnance, and other explosive remnants of war, especially through China’s valuable support to some affected ASEAN Member States and the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Centre (ARMAC). In this regard, we welcomed the adoption of the ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Joint Statement on Strengthening Humanitarian Mine Action Cooperation by the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting in July 2024, in Vientiane, Lao PDR and looked forward to working more closely together, while also noting that the Global Security Initiative is being implemented by China in the region.
8. We recognised that telecommunication network fraud crimes and online gambling crimes have developed into a regional nuisance and have spawned upstream and downstream crimes, which have attracted extensive attention from the international community and seriously endangered the lives and properties of the people in the region, social stability, and the international image of the region. In this regard, we adopted the ASEAN-China Joint Statement on Combating Telecommunication Network Fraud and Online Gambling.
9. We reiterated the importance of cooperation in combating transnational crime through various mechanisms under the ASEAN Plus China Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC + China) Consultation framework, the ASEAN Plus China Senior Officials’ Meeting on Drug Matters (ASOD + China) Consultation, and the ARF. We looked forward to the effective implementation of the ASEAN Plus China Senior Officials’ Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC + China) Work Plan on Cooperation to Combat Transnational Crime (2024-2028).
10.We noted that the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) and China are considering a joint activity on the promotion and protection of human rights. We welcome the convening of the 14th ASEAN-China Prosecutors-General Conference.
11.We recognised that China had remained ASEAN’s largest trading partner since 2009, and ASEAN has become China’s largest trading partner for four consecutive years since 2020. According to ASEAN’s statistics, in 2023, trade volume between ASEAN and China amounted to USD 696.71 billion, maintaining China’s position as ASEAN’s largest trading partner for the 15 th consecutive year. Foreign direct investment (FDI) flows from China to ASEAN amounted to USD 17.3 billion in the same year. We looked forward to further increasing trade and investment activities between ASEAN and China. We were encouraged by the significant increase in tourist arrivals from China to ASEAN since the pandemic, reaching 10.6 million in 2023.
12.We welcomed the substantial conclusion of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) 3.0 upgrade negotiations and looked forward to the completion and signing of ACFTA 3.0. We also looked forward to continuing to deepen commitments in existing areas such as Customs Procedures and Trade Facilitation, Standards, Technical Regulations, and Conformity Assessment Procedures, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, and Economic and Technical Cooperation. In addition, it will introduce commitments and deepen cooperation in new areas, including the Digital Economy, Green Economy, Supply Chain Connectivity, Competition and Consumer Protection, and MSMEs.
13.We noted the Mid-Term Review of the Work Programme on Further Deepening ASEAN-China Trade and Economic Cooperation 2022-2026, which saw many activities supporting ASEAN-China trade and economic cooperation implemented under the four themes: (i) Further Expanding ASEAN-China Trade and Investment Cooperation; (ii) Further Enhancing the Level of ASEAN-China Economic Integration; (iii) Further Strengthening Development Strategies Dialogue; and (iv) Further Deepening Cooperation in Emerging Areas. We also noted the implementation of the ASEAN-China Initiative on Enhancing Cooperation on ECommerce and looked forward to implementation of more collaboration to contribute to ASEAN-China cooperation on e-commerce.
14.We reiterated our commitment to the full and effective implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement, which would contribute to an inclusive and open trade and investment architecture in the region, as well as to strengthen the regional supply chain and support the ASEAN economic integration agenda. We welcomed the establishment of the RCEP Support Unit (RSU) which will provide institutional support to the implementation of the RCEP Agreement and looked forward to the commencement of its operation as soon as possible.
15.We noted the progress in cooperation among the Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and Hainan Free Trade Port and ASEAN, and welcomed to use the advantages of Guangdong-Hongkong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and Hainan Free Trade Port to expand ASEAN-China cooperation.
16.We underscored the significance of the ASEAN-China Joint Statement on Deepening Agricultural Cooperation and the ASEAN-China Action Plan on Green Agricultural Development 2023-2027, particularly in the utilisation and management of agricultural resources. We encouraged stakeholders to coordinate with the ASEAN Secretariat to identify pertinent projects and programmes that would facilitate the successful implementation of above Statement and the Action Plan. In this regard, we adopted the ASEAN-China Joint Statement on Promoting the Development of Smart Agriculture.
17.We recognised the need to maximise the potential of blue economy as the new engine of growth to promote economic growth, social inclusion and livelihoods, and environmental sustainability. We agreed to continue discussion on exploring the partnership on blue economy between ASEAN and China as envisaged in the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership Vision 2030 to promote marine sustainable development. In this regard, we noted China’s proposed concept paper of joint statement on the establishment of the ASEAN-China blue economy partnership.
18.We reiterated commitment to further advancing cooperation in Digital and ICT cooperation to cope with the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). We encouraged to continue collaboration to promote mutually-beneficial cooperation on digital infrastructure connectivity, emerging technologies innovation and development, emergency communication technologies, cyber and data security and industry development.
19.We noted the region is currently undergoing a rapid digital transformation and the necessity to strengthen cross-regional and cross-mechanism cooperation. We accordingly adopted the ASEAN-China Joint Statement on Facilitating Cooperation in Building a Sustainable and Inclusive Digital Ecosystem.
20.We noted the Global Artificial Intelligence (AI) Governance Initiative and AI Capacity-Building Action Plan for Good and for All proposed by China, and the ASEAN Guide on AI Governance and Ethics and looked forward to strengthening ASEAN-China cooperation on AI. We also welcomed the exploration of more ASEAN-China mutually-beneficial cooperation on emerging industries, electric vehicles, cross-border payment and settlement, cross-border flow of data and digital governance.
21.We commended China for the commitment to advance cooperation in Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) through the effective implementation of ASEANChina Plan of Action of a Closer Partnership of STI for the Future (2021-2025). We applauded the successful hosting of the 12th Meeting of ASEAN-China Joint Science, Technology and Innovation Committee (ACJSTIC-12) in Chengdu in July 2024 and the commitment of China to develop closer STI cooperation with ASEAN. We welcomed China’s continued support on ASEAN-China STI flagship cooperation, which includes ASEAN-China Joint Research Projects; ASEANChina Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition; and also the readiness to explore the establishment of dedicated ASEAN-China STI Fund.
22.We emphasised the importance of implementing the Joint Statement between ASEAN and China on Tourism Cooperation in 2017 and looked forward to the development of new cooperation measures and the gradual increase of travel to the pre-COVID level. We also highlighted the need for innovative ways to revitalize the tourism industry. In this regard, we noted China’s proposal to establish the mechanism for an ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting platform to further enhance ASEAN-China tourism collaborations.
23.We reaffirmed our commitment to strengthening communication and cooperation on intellectual property under the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of the Member States of ASEAN and the Government of the People’s Republic of China on Cooperation in the Field of Intellectual Property, and welcomed the implementation of the annual Work Program on ASEAN-China IP cooperation. We looked forward to further enhancing the ability of intellectual property creation, utilisation, protection, management and service of both ASEAN Member States and China through policy dialogue, capacity building, experiences sharing and other cooperative activities, and working jointly to foster a favourable innovation and business environment for better supporting the friendly cooperation and communication in the various areas of economy, trade, science and technology and culture among ASEAN Member States and China.
24.In line with the Connecting the Connectivities Initiative, we emphasised the importance of stepping up the implementation of the ASEAN-China Joint Statement on Synergising the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC 2025) and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and working to enhance connectivity in the region to facilitate a more conducive business environment and closer people-topeople ties, and sustainable development. We were pleased to note the launch of the Southeast Asia Tourism Website for the Chinese market which caters to the needs of Chinese travellers visiting ASEAN and fosters mutual understanding between ASEAN and China through tourism. We also looked forward to exploring the possibility of further liberalising the ASEAN-China Air Transport Agreement (AC-ATA), which will enhance regional connectivity as well as the resumption of more direct flights between ASEAN Member States and China.
25.We appreciated China’s support to ASEAN’s energy transition efforts, including through the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (2016-2025) and capacity building under the APT and the EAS frameworks. We acknowledged China’s proposal to build the ASEAN-China Clean Energy Cooperation Centre to support ASEAN’s work towards low-carbon transition. We looked forward to further enhancing cooperation on energy transition, including by exploring possibilities of establishing a regional platform on energy transition and encourage China to support the establishment of the ASEAN Power Grid.
26.We appreciated the successful launch of the 2024 ASEAN-China Year of Peopleto-people Exchanges to deepen cultural connections and promote greater interaction which foster mutual understanding and friendship between ASEAN and China in the areas including culture, education, youth, tourism, and sports, with the efforts of Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. We applauded the joint efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and The People’s Government of Guizhou Province of China in the successful implementation of the 2024 ASEAN-China Education Cooperation Week. We noted the List of Activities for 2024 ASEAN-China Year of People-toPeople Exchanges which will be comprehensively discussed and implemented through relevant ASEAN-led mechanisms and ASEAN sectoral bodies. We applauded the efforts of the ASEAN-China Centre in this regard through sponsoring various programs, events and activities. We noted the successful implementation of the ASEAN-China Week 2024, ASEAN-China Internship Programme, the 6th ASEAN-China Media Week, the ASEAN Talk Project, and the ASEAN-China Young Leaders Programme, as well as the convening of China-led youth exchange programmes (ACYLP), such as the 15th China-ASEAN Youth Campus and the China-ASEAN Youth Development Forum. To this end, we adopted the Joint Statement on Deepening People-to-People Exchanges Cooperation, which provide a strategic vision for people-to-people cooperation between ASEAN and China in the coming years. We welcomed the doubling in numbers of the ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship in the next five years. We agreed to continue the ASEAN-China Year of People-to-people Exchanges in 2025, while noting China’s efforts to implement the Global Civilization Initiative with ASEAN Member States.
27.We also reaffirmed the commitment to fostering cooperation in education, technical and vocational education, including early childhood education, vocational education and higher education, and accelerating the digital transformation of education. We agreed to expand exchanges among students, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, make vocational education and higher education more adaptable to the labour market to enhance employability, and increase exchanges in joint student training and teacher and training. We recognised the need to foster cooperation in the field of tourism and media, with a view to promoting mutual trust and understanding between the peoples of ASEAN and China. We welcomed enhanced collaboration with China in the areas of human resources development, including employment, skills development, occupational safety and health, and social security through the implementation of the ASEAN Plus Three Senior Labour Officials’ Meeting (SLOM+3) Work Plan 2021-2025 and the development of the SLOM+3 Work Plan 2026-2030. We noted with satisfaction the successful conduct Seminar on Promoting of High-Quality Employment held on 19-20 October 2023, marking the 10th Anniversary of Belt and Road Initiative, in Beijing; the ASEAN-China Forum on Work Safety Cooperation on 5-6 December 2023, in Nanning; Workshop and Study Visit on Promoting Skills and Employment for Decent Work in Rural Development on 22 May 2024, in Huzhou; and China-ASEAN Human Resources Cooperation and Development Forum and China-ASEAN Human Resources Service Expo on 3-4 November 2023, in Guangxi. We looked forward to further the cooperation with China in the labour sector.
28.We appreciated China’s active participation at the Heads of Civil Service Meeting of the 7th ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM+3) held in Brunei Darussalam, on 7 August 2024. We looked forward to strengthening ASEAN-China cooperation on good governance and civil service matters through further implementation of the ACCSM+3 Work Plan 2021-2025 and the development of the ACCSM+3 Work Plan 2026-2030. We noted with satisfaction the successful implementation of the Study Visit to Beijing and Shanghai on 25- 29 March 2024, as part of the Phase II of the ASEAN Guidelines on Public Service Delivery, and welcomed the plan of China to hold the Seminar on Public Service Delivery and Improvement in 2025.
29.We appreciated China’s cooperation with the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Research and Development Platforms on Poverty Action and on Media, Culture and Arts which actively contribute to enhancing the knowledge base and expertise to support efforts aimed at poverty eradication, and to promote media, cultural and artistic development in the region, respectively. We called for stronger partnership with China in addressing poverty and rural development, including in the implementation of the ASEAN Framework Action Plan on Rural Development and Poverty Eradication 2021-2025 and the operationalisation of the ASEAN Villages Network and the ASEAN Master Plan on Rural Development.
30.We applauded the convening of the ASEAN-China Women Entrepreneurs' Dialogue on "Joining Hands for Women's Economic Empowerment" during the Opening Ceremony of the ASEAN-China Year of People-to-People Exchanges in February this year. The Dialogue showcased good practices and valuable experiences of women, especially women entrepreneurs, in promoting economic empowerment and entrepreneurship. The side event has been successful in advocating for support in establishing the ASEAN-China Women Entrepreneurs' Network as a potential platform for enhancing pragmatic cooperation among women in China and ASEAN.
31.We valued the active support of China in fostering cooperation on social welfare and development, particularly in scaling-up joint efforts on empowering older persons and promoting intergenerational solidarity for an inclusive ASEAN Community through the ASEAN+3 Regional Conference on Life-long Learning spearheaded by the Senior Officials’ Meeting on Social Welfare and Development under the leadership of Thailand.
32.We looked forward to strengthening ASEAN’s cooperation with China on enhancing the well-being of people of ASEAN, especially the most vulnerable populations, including women, children, persons with disabilities and the elderly, with impact of extreme poverty, use of artificial intelligence and technology, as well as demographic shifts, and climate change, and other emerging global trends in mind.
33.We appreciated China’s partnership with ASEAN on accelerating the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the regular conduct of the ASEAN-China-UNDP Symposium on SDGs that was inaugurated in 2016. We welcomed the ASEAN-China Knowledge Network for Development, the ASEAN-China Special Loan for Common Development, and the ASEANChina Investment Cooperation Fund II, and looked forward to making good use of them to boost implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We also noted 15 out of the first 50 Global Development Initiative (GDI) global projects covering ASEAN Member States, and looked forward to exploring more mutually-beneficial GDI practical development cooperation.
34.We reaffirmed our commitment to the implementation of the Framework of ASEAN-China Environmental Cooperation Strategy and Action Plan (2021-2025) to strengthen exchanges of experiences and best practices, dialogue and pragmatic cooperation on environment.
35.We welcomed the Second ASEAN-China Ministerial Roundtable on Construction and Housing 2024 convened on the 4th of July 2024 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which issued the Kuala Lumpur Consensus 2024 on Building Sustainable Futures: Deepening ASEAN-China Cooperation in Housing and Urban Development for Prosperity.
36.We encouraged enhancing cooperation to address the impacts of climate change and welcomed China’s support for the ASEAN Centre for Climate Change (ACCC). We looked forward to continued efforts to operationalise the ACCC and further strengthening regional cooperation and coordination on addressing climate change, including through leveraging existing frameworks such as the ASEANChina Technical Cooperation Agreement. We also encouraged China’s cooperation to address air pollution through the ASEAN Specialised Meterological Centre (ASMC) and the acceleration of the early establishment and operationalisation of the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution (ACC THPC) to ensure the full and effective implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution.
37.We welcomed the continued implementation of the ASEAN-China Workplan on Disaster Management to contribute to disaster resilience building in support of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) Work Programme 2021-2025. We looked forward to the implementation of the “Disaster Management Cooperation Project between China and ASEAN” recently agreed to be supported by the Chinese Government, which will be implemented in collaboration with the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM). We encouraged the continued discussion on the establishment of the ASEAN-China Centre for Emergency Management Cooperation (ACCEMC).
38.We appreciated China’s partnership with ASEAN on public health through the project activities on traditional and complementary medicines, and vaccine security and self-reliance as part of the ASEAN-China Public Health Cooperation Initiative: Programme on Public Health Emergency Preparedness Capacity (PROMPT), and encouraged further cooperation on communicable diseases, including emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and pandemics, noncommunicable diseases, vaccine, therapeutic and diagnostic (VTD) research and development, health system strengthening, universal health coverage including human resources for health, and improvement of information and data exchange platforms, as well as maximising digital health technologies in improving healthcare delivery and outcomes.
39.We recognised the importance of the initiative of ASEAN-China Women and Children’s Health Cooperation Centre (ACWCC) proposed by China and welcomed the endorsement of the Concept Note of the ACWCC. We encouraged the further building of the ACWCC to better improve women and children’s health in the region.
40.We reaffirmed the continued commitment of ASEAN and China to working together to strengthen ASEAN Centrality in the ASEAN-led mechanisms in maintaining and upholding peace, security, and prosperity, to sustain a positive momentum of ASEAN’s proactive contribution to UN peacekeeping operations and the incorporation of Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) agenda, to strengthen ASEAN’s competitiveness and regional integration, and to ensure the health, well-being, and social protection, of our peoples.
41.We welcomed the 9 th Mekong-Lancang Cooperation (MLC) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Chiang Mai, Thailand on 16 August 2024. We welcomed China’s continued support to ASEAN’s efforts in narrowing development gaps in the region through the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan IV (2021-2025), and promoting sub-regional development through the MLC, the BIMP-EAGA-China Cooperation and other relevant sub-regional frameworks and mechanisms to narrow development gaps in ASEAN and promoting inclusive growth, equitable and sustainable development across the region.
42.We appreciated the policy recommendations of the two Working Group Meetings on “ASEAN-China Collaboration on Industrial and Supply Chains” and “Advancing ASEAN-China Tourism Cooperation: Cross-border Payment Integration & Visa and Transport Facilitation” by the Network of ASEAN-China Think-Tanks (NACT) this year.
43.We discussed the situation in the South China Sea. We reaffirmed the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, and safety in the South China Sea and recognised the benefits of having the South China Sea as a sea of peace, stability and prosperity. We reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence, exercise self-restraint in the conduct of activities that would complicate or escalate disputes and affect peace and stability, and avoid actions that may further complicate the situation. We further reaffirmed the need to pursue peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with the universally recognised principles of international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS. We emphasised the importance of self-restraint in the conduct of all activities by claimants and all other states, including those mentioned in the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) that could further complicate the situation and escalate tensions in the South China Sea. We reaffirmed that the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) is a milestone document of our relations and its full and effective implementation is of great significance to maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea. We welcomed the continued positive momentum and the progress achieved so far in the ongoing negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), including the third reading of the Single Draft COC Negotiating Text (SDNT). We further reaffirmed the aspiration to work towards the early conclusion of an effective and substantive COC that is in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, and encouraged efforts to make full use of the Guidelines for Accelerating the Early Conclusion of an Effective and Substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea adopted at the PMC Plus One Session with China on 13 July 2023 in Jakarta. We welcomed the Outcome of the 22nd SOM-DOC Meeting held in Xi’an, China on 13 September 2024. We emphasised the need to maintain and promote an environment conducive to the COC negotiations, and thus welcomed practical maritime cooperation initiatives which are instrumental to promote trust and confidence and avoid misunderstandings and miscalculation.
