SINGAPORE: China supports the growth of Association of SouthEast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and is resolute in boosting friendly cooperation with the Southeast Asian bloc, President China Xi Jinping said Saturday in a speech at the National University of Singapore.
He noted that by the end of the year the ASEAN Economic Community will be in place, which will be the first ever sub-regional economic community in Asia.
China, he added, will firmly support the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community, as well as ASEAN’s leading role in promoting regional cooperation in East Asia.
Speaking highly of the history and development of ASEAN, Xi said that neighborhood is the starting point of China’s development initiatives such as the “Belt and Road” and vision of building a community of common destiny.
Meanwhile, he welcomes neighboring countries to board China’s express train of development.
President Xi also said that his country and its neighbors shoulder a historic responsibility to maintain Asian peace and stability.
In a four-pronged proposal, he called for concerted efforts to safeguard peace and tranquillity, dovetail development strategies, expand security cooperation and cement people-to-people amity.
In the address, Xi also said China’s neighboring countries are the primary cooperation partners under the Belt and Road Initiative and should be the first to enjoy the benefits of it.
