Spokesperson's Remarks｜China hopes to work with ASEAN countries to defend multilateral trading system

From July 10 to 11, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will attend the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the ASEAN Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting, the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the ASEAN Regional Forum Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced at a regular press conference on Tuesday.

According to Mao, in recent years, East Asian cooperation has generally maintained the momentum of steady advancement. Countries in this region have engaged in cooperation on the basis of equality, mutual respect, mutual benefit, and openness and inclusiveness. This has enabled development progress, facilitated regional integration, and benefited local communities. In the meantime, the international landscape is experiencing more instability and rapid change, as well as rising unilateralism and protectionism. They pose unprecedented challenges to East Asian cooperation.

Mao noted that China hopes that through the upcoming foreign ministers' meetings, parties will be able to build more consensus, focus on development and cooperation, and prepare the ground for the leaders' meetings later this year. China firmly upholds ASEAN centrality, stands ready to steadily advance the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 upgrade, and foster an even closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future. 

"China looks forward to working with regional countries to uphold true multilateralism and open regionalism and defend free trade and the multilateral trading system, to implement RCEP with high quality and expand cooperation in emerging industries, to promote the Asian values of peace, cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, to develop a model of security for Asia featuring security for all, seeking common ground while shelving differences and dialogue and consultation, and together build a peaceful, safe and secure, prosperous, beautiful and amicable home in Asia," Mao said. (By Ma Ziqian/China Youth Daily)