Xi's speech outlines blueprint for closer China-ASEAN cooperation

BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech at the ASEAN-China Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations via video link on Monday has outlined the blueprint for fostering a closer community with a shared future for China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), overseas scholars and experts have said.

The speech, which reviewed the achievements and valuable experience of China-ASEAN relations, has injected strong impetus into building a more prosperous region and the world at large, they added.

Xi's speech will continue to enhance cooperation between ASEAN and China and make greater contributions to regional peace, stability and prosperity, said Natee Taweesrifuengfung, president of the Thailand-based Siam Think Tank.

As for Xi's five proposals for developing future relations between China and ASEAN, including building a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home together, Wilson Lee Flores, a columnist for the English daily The Philippine Star, said that the proposals are not only based on realities, but also consistent with the trend.

Flores stressed Xi's call for "jointly upholding and promoting Asian values" should be a common pursuit for ASEAN countries and China, saying that "Asian values that are rooted deeply in Asian philosophy, as our guidelines, could promote Asia's cooperation and development."

Khin Ma Ma Myo, an international relations professor at the University of Yangon, said that ASEAN and China have maintained a positive and vibrant dialogue partnership for the past 30 years and the two sides have been cooperating in a broad range of areas.

The professor expressed the hope that the two sides will enhance cooperation and exchanges and join hands to cope with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and build a better future for the region.

Lee Pei May, a political expert at the International Islamic University Malaysia, said that China announced it would strive to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, which shows its active participation in the global efforts to address climate change.

"There are still many areas in which China and ASEAN can work together, such as addressing climate change," Lee said. 

The views don't necessarily reflect those of Qiushi Journal.