Bangkok (VNA) – Prime MinisterNguyen Xuan Phuc and other leaders from the Association of Southeast AsianNations (ASEAN) joined Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the 22ndASEAN-China Summit in Bangkok on November 3.

At the summit, the leaders underlined theimportance of the ASEAN-China strategic partnership for peace, security,stability and prosperity in the region.

They reiterated efforts to promote dialogues andcooperation as well as building trust and soon finalising the Code of Conductin the East Sea (COC).

The leaders also stressed the need to maintainpeace, security, stability, freedom and safety of navigation and aviation inthe East Sea and to refrain from actions that complicate the situation.

They agreed to abide by international law,including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 UNCLOS),implement seriously and fully the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the EastSea (DOC), and strive to build the East Sea into a region of peace,stability and cooperation.

Participants also welcomed the close economicties between ASEAN and China, with China being the largest trading partner ofASEAN for the past 10 consecutive years and a leading investor of the bloc.

ASEAN and Chinese leaders emphasised theircommitments to promoting multilateralism, supporting trade-investmentliberalisation, and strengthening a rule-based equal multilateral internationaltrading system.

They vowed to contribute to the completion ofthe Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) as scheduled.

Under the ASEAN-China Strategic PartnershipVision 2030 approved in 2018, the two sides pledged to promote cooperation inthe fields of common interest such as trade and investment exchanges, includingthe effective implementation of the protocol to amend the ASEAN-China freetrade agreement.

The two sides agreed to strive for a two-waytrade of 1 trillion USD and investment of 150 billion USD by 2020.

They agreed to enhance connectivity between theimplementation of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 and China’s “onebelt, one road” initiative, in addition to expanding people-to-people exchangeand cooperation in tourism, innovation, e-commerce and digital economy.

Addressing the event, PM Phuc said ASEAN alwaysattaches great importance to the role of China in endevours to maintain peace,security and stability for development cooperation and prosperity in theregion.

He voiced support for the designation of 2020 asa digital economic cooperation year between ASEAN and China.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the PM affirmedthat the maintenance of peace, security and stability in the world’s arterialmaritime route is the responsibility of all nations for mutual benefits.

He reiterated the clear and consistentviewpoints of Vietnam on the East Sea situation, which have been presented atforums at various levels. 

He urged the involved parties to step up effortsat both bilateral and multilateral levels to promote compliance withinternational law, including the (UNCLOS), as well as prevent the repetition ofactions that run counter to international law, while creating a favourableenvironment for building rules and trust, promoting dialogues, and peacefullysolving differences based on international law.

The PM also suggested implementing seriously andfully the DOC and maximising efforts to finalise the effective COC in line withinternational law and with the support of the international community.

Concluding the event, the two sides agreed toadopt three documents, including the ASEAN-China Leaders' Statement onSmart City Cooperation Initiative, the Joint Statement on Strengthening MediaExchanges and Cooperation between ASEAN and China, and the ASEAN-ChinaJoint Statement on Synergising the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC)2025 and the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)/.