Global woes call for deeper partnership

China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations should continue to deepen their cooperation and explore new frontiers of win-win collaboration as the world is fraught with rising uncertainties, said officials.

Strengthening the China-ASEAN partnership is not only crucial for promoting regional development, but also has the potential to inject much-needed momentum into the world economy, they said during the ASEAN Secretary-General Beijing Roundtable Dialogue on Thursday.

Secretary-General of ASEAN Kao Kim Hourn said that the two sides should establish a stable and reliable economic framework going forward, so as to further deepen bilateral cooperation.

In particular, efforts should be made to ensure the effective implementation of the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, Kao said, adding that it is also imperative to expand cooperation beyond traditional frameworks.

In the first half of the year, China's foreign trade with ASEAN reached 3.67 trillion yuan ($512.3 billion), a year-on-year increase of 9.6 percent, making ASEAN China's largest trading partner, data from the General Administration of Customs showed.

Li Qingshuang, deputy head of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said that it is of great significance for China and ASEAN to jointly foster a new paradigm of mutually beneficial cooperation when the global trade environment faces unprecedented challenges.

By doing so, China and ASEAN can contribute an "Asian Solution" to global economic governance, and inject momentum and confidence into regional and global economic development, Li said.

The business communities from China and ASEAN economies should join hands to foster strategic emerging industries such as green and low-carbon initiatives, digital economy, and high-end manufacturing, and build secure and stable industrial and supply chains, Li added.

Sima Hong, vice-mayor of Beijing, said that the city possesses distinct strengths in scientific innovation, high-end manufacturing, and the digital economy.

She expressed Beijing's readiness to leverage this conference as an opportunity to continuously expand two-way trade and investment, while encouraging enterprises from Beijing and ASEAN to deepen cooperation in digital economy, green development, smart cities, and modern agriculture.

Pov Somnang, special assistant to ASEAN Secretary-General, said that emerging fields like the digital economy, green energy and technological innovation have become the focuses for future collaboration between ASEAN and China.