China Partners with ASEAN to Prioritise Peace and Development
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday reaffirmed Beijing’s commitment to enhancing cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), emphasising the importance of regional peace and development. Strengthening China-ASEAN cooperation is considered vital for responding to global challenges and uncertainties, as well as pursuing the welfare of the people in the region.
‘Together, let us be the anchor of regional and global peace and development,’ Wang said during a meeting with 11 ASEAN foreign ministers in Manila. Wang noted that China has reached significant consensus with eight ASEAN countries on building a bilateral community with a shared future, laying a more solid foundation for a closer China-ASEAN community of shared interests.
The ASEAN-China meeting took place amid tensions between Beijing and Manila regarding clashes between Filipino mariners and the China Coast Guard in the disputed waters of Second Thomas Shoal—known as Ren’ai Jiao in China and Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines.
Noting that bilateral trade volume between ASEAN and China exceeded USD 1 trillion in 2025, Wang said Beijing has launched an ASEAN visa to facilitate and enhance people-to-people connectivity. ‘Cultural and people-to-people ties between the two sides are growing ever closer. The journey of our relations once again shows that mutual respect and mutual trust are the foundation for good neighbourly relations,’ he stated.
As this year’s ASEAN Chair, the Philippines, represented by Foreign Minister Maria Theresa P. Lazaro, said both sides reaffirmed their commitment to a ‘practical, forward-looking, and mutually beneficial’ ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. ‘We highlighted our cooperation under the ASEAN-China Plan of Action, including combating transnational crime, strengthening economic integration through the ASEAN-China FTA 3.0 Upgrade Protocol, and promoting digital economy cooperation,’ Lazaro wrote on social media platform X. Both parties also exchanged views on various regional and international issues in support of peace, stability, and sustainable development, she added.