November 19, 2021

China and the ASEAN are expected to officially upgrade their relations to tap into more high-quality cooperation potential - including COVID-19 vaccine research - at the upcoming special summit commemorating the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations on Monday, Chinese observers said, after the two sides deepened mutual interests through "Asian means" of mutual respect, friendly negotiation and win-win cooperation throughout the past 30 years, creating the most successful example of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

The summit follows a virtual meeting between leaders of China and the US, which prompted some US allies, such as Australia, to begin to adjust their own China approach by seeking dialogue with China. Observers said this is not the case with ASEAN, as the bloc had never clung to the US or turned itself into a card used by the US to contain China, especially since the South China Sea arbitration ruling in 2016; instead, it has focused on its own practical needs and interests and pursued a closer cooperation with China. 

President Xi Jinping will attend and chair the ASEAN-China Special Summit to Commemorate the 30th Anniversary of ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations from Beijing on Monday. The summit will be held via video link, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying announced on Friday.

Read more:

https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202111/1239414.shtml