Securing a strong partnership

To upgrade their strategic partnership, it is important for both sides to concentrate on seeking new ways of thinking and solutions to tackle their disagreements. In particular, all parties concerned should seek to enhance mutual understanding and trust, to consolidate the political foundation for regional cooperation. The East Asia Summit and the informal economic leaders' meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum are scheduled for October, and China and ASEAN should use them to enhance their cooperation.

To upgrade the China-ASEAN FTA, both sides have to further open their markets to each other and promote the free flows of goods and services. It is necessary to set up a financial platform for Asia's infrastructure development and to solve the financing bottleneck problems in the region.

Aside from economic cooperation, China and ASEAN should deepen cooperation in a wide range of fields. For instance, although the Asia-Pacific region as a whole remains stable, some non-traditional security issues persist, which are negatively affecting the regional situation, economic growth and people's livelihoods. The risks of earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons command concerted efforts from all parties concerned.

In response to the relentless attempt of some individual parties in the region and some external forces to complicate and escalate the South China Sea disputes, China is determined to defend regional peace and stability, and always insists on solving the historical issues through negotiation and consultation. By carrying out concrete maritime cooperation and making good use of the China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund, China and ASEAN can create the conditions and atmosphere necessary for solving maritime disagreements through cooperative means.

In early April, China National Offshore Oil Corporation and Brunei's national petroleum company known as PetroleumBrunei signed a cooperation agreement to deepen cooperation in the oil and gas sector. The commercial move could possibly facilitate common development of the resource-rich waters and serve as an attempt to resolve the maritime territorial dispute.

Equally important, China and ASEAN should encourage non-governmental exchanges at all levels, especially people-to-people exchanges, in a bid to enhance mutual understanding and cement the foundation of public support for the good-neighborly China-ASEAN relations for the next decade.

The author is deputy director of China Institute of International Studies.