Strengthening Regional Cooperation for the Benefit of the People

On November 14， the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership Vision 2030 was approved at the 21st China-ASEAN Summit， which made China the first country to develop a long-term plan for strategic partnership with ASEAN. As the two sides celebrate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of their strategic partnership this year， the Vision will chart the course for future China-ASEAN relations and lift their strategic partnership to a higher level.

An intergovernmental organization jointly established by China and ASEAN member states， the ASEAN-China Center （ACC） serves as an important platform facilitating friendly exchange and pragmatic cooperation between China and ASEAN countries. How will the ACC help implement the plan endorsed by leaders of both sides？ ACC Secretary-General Chen Dehai shared his views in an interview with China Report ASEAN.

China Report ASEAN： The year 2018 marks the 15th anniversary of China-ASEAN strategic partnership. How would you describe the development of China-ASEAN relations over the past years？

Chen Dehai： This year marks the 40th anniversary of Chinas reform and opening-up as well as the beginning of the second 50 years of ASEAN. It also coincides with the 15th anniversary of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership. In the process of Chinas reform and opening-up and ASEAN integration， especially after their strategic partnership was established， the two sides have joined hands to promote common development and prosperity. Their relations have matured as they shared opportunities for development and huddled together to combat challenges. Today， China and ASEAN countries enjoy deep political trust， conduct frequent high-level exchanges and maintain close policy communication. With cooperation mechanisms steadily improving， the two sides have carried out fruitful cooperation in numerous areas.

Economic and trade cooperation is a major driving force for China-ASEAN relations. The two sides are each others important trading partners. China has remained ASEANs largest trading partner for nine years in a row， and ASEAN has been Chinas third largest trading partner for seven consecutive years. In 2017， the total trade volume between the two sides exceeded US$500 billion. As of now， two-way investment between the two sides has totaled nearly US$200 billion.

People-to-people exchange is an important pillar of China-ASEAN cooperation， and remarkable achievements have been made in sectors such as tourism， education and culture. The volume of two-way tourists visits between China and ASEAN member states is about to surpass 500 million this year. Over 200，000 Chinese and ASEAN students are studying in each others countries. So far， China has established six Chinese Cultural Centers， as well as 33 Confucius Institutes and 35 Confucius Classrooms， in ASEAN nations.

Among all ASEAN dialogue partnerships， the China-ASEAN relations have become the most extensive， fruitful and closest， benefiting more than 2 billion people in the region.

China Report ASEAN： The 21st China-ASEAN Summit adopted the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership Vision 2030. What do you think of this achievement？

Chen Dehai： At the 20th China-ASEAN Summit held at the end of last year， China and ASEAN member states agreed to jointly celebrate the 15th anniversary of their strategic partnership in 2018 and make it an opportunity to draw up a blueprint for future China-ASEAN cooperation， namely the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership Vision 2030. The two sides reached consensus regarding the long-term plan at the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting held in Singapore this August and officially signed the document at the 21st China-ASEAN Summit in November. Already considered a milestone for China-ASEAN relations， the Vision encapsulates the common aspirations of the Chinese and ASEAN people.

China Report ASEAN： After five years of practice， the Belt and Road Initiative （BRI） is now taking steps toward concrete implementation and sustainable development. What role do you think ASEAN plays in implementing the BRI？

Chen Dehai： The BRI， namely the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road， was announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in the fall of 2013 when he visited Kazakhstan and Indonesia. Since then it has received wide support from the international community.

ASEAN countries， where the land meets the sea， are priority and primary partners for realization of the BRI. Through concerted efforts， China and ASEAN have made remarkable achievements in implementing the grand plan. The two sides have enhanced synergy between the BRI and the respective development strategies of ASEAN nations and established a multi-level inter-governmental communication mechanism. The promotion of infrastructure connectivity has been accelerating with Chinas high-speed rails laid out and a series of other flagship projects being carried out in ASEAN countries. The protocol on upgrading the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area has already been put into effect. The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has attracted participation and support from all ASEAN countries， providing a firm guarantee for financial integration. With cultural exchange and tourism as a link， people-to-people bonds between the two sides have become increasingly close.

As their respective advantages are complementary， China-ASEAN cooperation in advancing the BRI enjoys huge potential， adding vitality to economic development in the region and providing important support for trade and investment facilitation.

China Report ASEAN： The year 2018 is the China-ASEAN Year of Innovation. What efforts has the ACC made to promote China-ASEAN relations this year？

Chen Dehai： This year the ACC has played an active role in helping implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of China and ASEAN countries and carried out many projects in the fields of trade， investment， education， culture， tourism and media. With the celebration of 15th anniversary of China-ASEAN strategic partnership and the China-ASEAN Year of Innovation as our focus， we have launched a total of 21 flagship projects including the International Symposium on Celebrating the 15th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership， the China-ASEAN Belt and Road Business Forum， the China-ASEAN Youth Summer Camp and the China-ASEAN Media Cooperation Forum.

China Report ASEAN： What does the ACC plan to do to enhance China-ASEAN cooperation in 2019？

Chen Dehai： China and ASEAN have designated 2019 as the China-ASEAN Year of Media Exchange. The two sides also signed the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership Vision 2030 this November， which will create more opportunities and broader space for China-ASEAN cooperation.

As China-ASEAN relations enter a new historic stage， the ACC will continue to work together with partners in China and ASEAN countries. In 2019， we will focus more on key cooperation areas such as education， culture， tourism and media， and organize more events that produce tangible results.