A New Day for Cooperation

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong exchanged congratulatory messages on October 8 to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership. On the morning of November 14， Premier Li attended the 21st China-ASEAN Summit， which was also held to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership， in Singapore.

The China-ASEAN strategic partnership can be traced back to October 8， 2003， when China and ASEAN announced the establishment of a partnership to promote peace and prosperity at the Seventh China-ASEAN Summit， turning the page on a new chapter of friendly relations in the region.

In his message， Premier Li noted that the development of China-ASEAN relations has produced tangible benefits for the 2 billion people on both sides and promoted regional and global peace， stability and prosperity. He also declared that China-ASEAN relations have entered a maturing period featuring quality upgrading and new opportunities. “China has always considered ASEAN a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy and is eager to make ASEAN a good partner in common development， peace， openness and win-win progress， innovation， inclusiveness and mutual learning，” he elaborated. “China is ready to work with ASEAN to lift our strategic partnership to a higher level， build a stronger community with a shared future and bring our relations to an even brighter future.”

ASEANs rotating chair is held by Singapore this year. Singaporean Prime Minister Lee said in his message that over the past 15 years， cooperation between China and ASEAN has deepened and broadened around three pillars， namely political security， economics and trade， and social and people-to-people exchanges. ASEAN and China are committed to enhancing their connectivity and promoting alignment between the Master Plan for ASEAN Connectivity 2025 and the Belt and Road Initiative， Lee added.

The past 15 years have brought vigorous growth to China-ASEAN relations and produced abundant fruits， especially enhanced bilateral cooperation at multiple levels in various fields. In the next decade， both sides are expected to further deepen cooperation as strategic partners to create even greater opportunities for countries and peoples in the region.