ASEAN-China cooperation encouraged at forum

ASEAN countries and China should boost economic cooperation in various fields for common prosperity and to address geopolitical challenges brought by China-US tensions, experts said.

They made the remarks at a forum focusing on people-to-people exchanges on the Maritime Silk Road, which was organized by the China Cultural Center in Singapore. The forum was held both online and offline on Tuesday, where about 40 experts and scholars from China, Singapore and other ASEAN countries shared their views on the history of maritime silk road culture and trade.

"Southeast Asia is the earliest area which was connected by the ancient maritime silk road," said Li Hongqiong, deputy director of the China Cultural Center in Singapore. "The exchange along the road created a common culture and history, providing important basis for trade cooperation between China and ASEAN countries."

"Learning from these values is significant to overcome difficulties in today's world, with changes unseen in a century," she said.

Ong Tee Keat, former minister of transport of Malaysia and president of the country's Center for New Inclusive Asia, said relations between China and countries along the Maritime Silk Road is not only about economic partnership but forging a common community of development, adding closer people-to-people ties are the foundation for such a community.

Chen Xingli, senior researcher at the Cambodia Institute for Cooperation and Peace, said ASEAN countries should focus on their economic transformation through technology cooperation along the Maritime Silk Road.

"China has made world-leading achievements in both the digital economy and technologies in Ultra High Voltage transmission lines, nuclear and solar energy, all of which are major parts of ASEAN investment in the post-pandemic era," he said, noting that Singapore has released its plan to reform its energy system in a greener way by 2030.

"ASEAN countries should focus on economic transformation to boost cooperation with China, despite China-US tensions which will exist for a long time in the future," Chen said, referring to a belief ASEAN countries should strike a balance between the two powers.

Gu Qingyang, associate professor at the National University of Singapore, said it's "extremely important" to promote China-ASEAN trade cooperation, which can help reduce the negative impact of geopolitical competition by creating more jobs and raising people's incomes.

"First, China and ASEAN countries can make use of each other's industrial advantages to upgrade industries. They should promote urbanization and globalization through the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership and China-ASEAN (10+1) mechanism," he said, stressing both China and ASEAN countries can find ways to avoid the middle-income trap.