Chinese premier calls for forging example of openness, development cooperation with ASEAN, GCC

KUALA LUMPUR -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang called on China, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries to jointly forge an example in openness, development cooperation and cross-civilization integration on Tuesday.

He made the remarks when addressing the inaugural ASEAN-China-GCC Summit held in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.

China, ASEAN, and GCC countries enjoy a long history of friendly exchanges, Li said, adding that against complex changes in international landscape and a sluggish economic growth, the establishment of such a communication platform and cooperation mechanism as this trilateral summit marks a major innovation in regional economic cooperation.

Through closer connectivity and cooperation, the Chinese premier said, the three sides can build a dynamic economic circle and growth pole, which carries great significance for their respective prosperity as well as for peace and development in Asia and the world.

Li urged all sides to seize this historic opportunity, continuously enrich the substance of trilateral cooperation, and work together to build a model of global cooperation and development.

He urged all sides to build a model in three aspects.

Firstly, Li called on the three sides to create a model of cross-region openness, noting that the population and economic aggregate of China as well as countries of the ASEAN and the GCC account for approximately one quarter of the world's total.

A full connection of the three markets will surely give rise to a much larger space for development and a more significant scale effect, he said.

China and the ASEAN have fully completed the negotiations on the upgrade of the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, Li noted, adding that it is expected that an early completion of talks on the free trade area agreement between the GCC and various parties can be done so as to elevate trilateral trade levels.

He urged the three sides to unswervingly expand regional opening-up, and build the related regions into a large shared market where resources, technologies and talents flow more efficiently, and trade and investment enjoy greater freedom and convenience, so as to fully unleash the powerful effect of open development.

Secondly, he called on the three sides to forge a model of cooperation across different development stages, saying that although the three sides are at different stages of development, their differences are not obstacles to cooperation but complements to each other's strengths.

China, he said, is ready to deepen strategic alignment with the ASEAN and the GCC on the basis of mutual respect and equal treatment, enhance coordination of macroeconomic policies and strengthen collaboration in industrial specialization.

"We should strive to turn our own strengths into those of everyone, and at the same time help each other tackle new challenges emerging in development, create new ways of international industrial economic cooperation, and promote a coordinated development in which their abilities can be fully explored, and benefits can be doubled and shared," he said.

Thirdly, the Chinese premier urged the three sides to create a model of cross-civilization integration, noting that the three sides are home to vibrant civilizations and share Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness and inclusiveness.

He called for deeper cultural and people-to-people exchanges and a stronger foundation of mutual trust, and called on the three sides to effectively manage differences through mutual understanding, foster mutually beneficial cooperation through the exchange of ideas and explore a new path for the inclusive advancement of diverse civilizations.

The Chinese side, he said, actively supports the initiative of Confucian-Islamic civilizational dialogue proposed by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

China is ready to work with the ASEAN and the GCC to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, promote mutual learning among civilizations and build greater consensus and momentum for peace and development, he added.

Li said China is willing to strengthen trilateral partnerships with ASEAN and the GCC, work together to formulate a high-quality Belt and Road cooperation action plan, strengthen alignment in infrastructure and market regulations, expand cooperation in areas such as energy, agriculture, artificial intelligence, the digital economy as well as green and low-carbon development, and promote people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding.

China, Li said, is also willing to offer greater visa facilitation to ASEAN and GCC countries.

Looking globally, the three sides should strengthen communication and coordination under the UN and other multilateral frameworks, safeguard the common interests of developing countries, resolutely oppose hegemonism and power politics, and push for a more just and equitable global governance, Li said.

ASEAN and GCC leaders attending the summit spoke highly of the important role stronger trilateral cooperation plays in advancing their respective development and promoting regional peace and prosperity.

They said that the summit has opened a new chapter for the three sides to jointly address challenges and pursue development.

The leaders pledged to further deepen Belt and Road cooperation, enhance cooperation in such areas as connectivity, economy and trade, industrial and supply chains, agriculture, energy, finance and the digital economy.

They also pledged to strengthen mutual learning among civilizations, carry out closer multilateral cooperation, and advance trilateral integration for strong, inclusive, and sustainable development, contributing to the building of a community with a shared future.

The meeting adopted the joint statement of the ASEAN-China-GCC Summit.