China and ASEAN reap the rewards of developing together， says Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN Xu Bu

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN. During its 50 years of development， ASEAN has achieved not only peace but also economic prosperity in the region. It has also made steady progress in integrating into globalization and achieved solid results.

In a congratulatory message to ASEAN， Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed China’s willingness “to build a closer community with shared future together with ASEAN in order to ensure that it will become a paradigm of communities with shared future in Asia.”

Among ASEAN’s dialogue partners， China was the first to establish a strategic partnership with ASEAN. It was also the first that initiated the construction of a free trade area （China-ASEAN FTA） with ASEAN. What are the achievements of China-ASEAN relations？ What are the opportunities and challenges for future cooperation？ With these questions in mind， China Report ASEAN sat down for an exclusive interview with Xu Bu， the Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN in Jakarta.

>>China Report ASEAN： China is one of ASEAN’s important cooperation partners. How do you evaluate ASEAN’s achievements？

Xu Bu： Since its founding 50 years ago， ASEAN has made tremendous achievements.

Politically， ASEAN member states have overcome the difficulties of different political systems， religious and cultural diversity， territorial and maritime rights disputes left over from history， and developed a distinctive ASEAN Way to both its own development and external affairs featuring mutual respect， consensus building and accommodating the interests of all parties. The organization has made a positive contribution to regional stability， peace and development.

Economically， since the ASEAN FTA was established in 1991， its internal economic integration and community building have accelerated. At present， a zero tariff policy has been basically realized among its member states. With a total population of 620 million and an overall GDP of US$2.4 trillion， ASEAN has grown into the third largest economy in Asia， and the seventh largest in the world. Its economic growth rate in 2016 reached 4.6 percent. In 2017， the number is expected to reach 4.8 percent. The momentum of its economic development is enormous， as is its potential.

In terms of regional cooperation， the ASEAN Way has become an important principle for promoting regional cooperation in East Asia， widely accepted by countries within and outside the region. Led by ASEAN， a number of regional cooperation mechanisms have come into being， including 10+1 （ASEAN+China）， 10+3 （ASEAN+China， Japan， South Korea）， the East Asia Summit （EAS） and the ASEAN Regional Forum （ARF）， all of which are platforms upon which member states can work together to overcome a wide range of challenges.

At the end of 2015， the ASEAN Community was formally established as a milestone in the process of regional integration in East Asia.

>>China Report ASEAN： It has been 26 years since dialogue relations were established between China and ASEAN. What have they achieved over the years？ What are the challenges they currently face？

Xu Bu： China and ASEAN are good neighbors enjoying geographical proximity and cultural affinity. We are also good partners pursuing common development through close collaboration. In 1991， the two sides initiated the dialogue process. In 2003， the strategic partnership for peace and prosperity was established. Over the last 26 years， with our joint efforts， the China-ASEAN relationship has become the most dynamic and most profound among ASEAN’s relationships with its dialogue partners. Our cooperation in various fields has produced notable results.

Political ties are constantly strengthened. There are frequent high-level exchanges between China and ASEAN. The dialogue mechanisms at all levels and in various fields are increasingly mature. As a dialogue partner of ASEAN， China was the first to accede to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia， the first to establish a strategic partnership with ASEAN， the first to unequivocally support ASEAN’s efforts to build a Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone and the first to initiate FTA negotiations with ASEAN. All these first moves reflect China’s firm commitment to the relationship between China and ASEAN， effectively promoted the development of ASEAN’s relations with other dialogue partners and played an exemplary and leading role in East Asian cooperation.

Economic and trade cooperation has advanced by leaps and bounds. China and ASEAN built the world’s largest FTA among developing countries. Negotiations on its upgrading have been concluded. The volume of bilateral trade increased from roughly US$8 billion in 1991 to US$452.2 billion in 2016， a 56-fold increase. China has been ASEAN’s largest trading partner for the past eight years， while ASEAN has been China’s third largest partner for the past six years. The total amount of two-way investment increased from US$500 million in 1991 to US$177.9 billion in 2016， a 355-fold increase.

People-to-people exchanges have increased. In recent years， we have designated a number of theme years between China and ASEAN， such as the Year of ST Cooperation， Year of Cultural Cooperation， Year of Maritime Cooperation， and most recently， the Education Exchange Year 2016 and Tourism Cooperation Year 2017.These events reflect our enthusiasm and desire to boost people-to-people exchanges. In 2016， personnel exchanges between the two sides exceeded 38 million， a 10-fold increase compared to the 3.87 million exchanges recorded in 2003. Nearly 3，000 flights travel between China and ASEAN countries every week. China has become ASEAN’s largest source of overseas tourists.

Interactions on regional peace and stability have continued to improve. China and ASEAN countries have agreed that territorial disputes in the South China Sea should be addressed by countries directly concerned through negotiation and consultation， and peace and stability in the South China Sea should be jointly upheld by China and ASEAN countries. With the joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries， including the Philippines， the situation in the South China Sea is generally stable with a positive momentum of development. The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea （DOC） is being effectively implemented. At the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila on August 6， Chinese and ASEAN foreign ministers fully acknowledged the positive momentum on the South China Sea and welcomed the approval of the framework of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea （COC）， laying a solid foundation for further consultations on the COC. Practice has proven that the implementation of the DOC and consultation on the COC are the right approaches for China and ASEAN countries to manage their differences properly， promote pragmatic cooperation and safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea.

Meanwhile， it should be noted that although the foundation for the China-ASEAN community of shared future is solid， there remain some deficiencies. For example， strategic mutual trust should be further deepened. Since China and ASEAN countries do not all share the same social systems， religious culture or stages of development， with the profound changes in international and regional environment， there has been a gap in their perception of one another. Some regional and external forces deliberately hype up disputes and make it more difficult to build mutual trust.

At the same time， after more than 20 years of vigorous bilateral cooperation， nearly all the “l(fā)ow-hanging fruits” have been harvested. With cooperation now entering a “deep water zone”， the two sides have to search for innovative ideas to break through bottlenecks， and foster new growth areas to maintain the vitality of our cooperation.

>>China Report ASEAN： What are your expectations for China-ASEAN relations in the future？

Xu Bu： In 2013， Chinese President Xi Jinping delivered an important speech at the Indonesian Parliament， in which he put forward the proposal of jointly building the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road and a closer China-ASEAN community of shared future. China is willing to join hands with ASEAN countries to seize opportunities for development， work together to tackle global and regional challenges and achieve common development and prosperity. President Xi’s initiative with a profound historical background and practical significance outlined a blueprint for the development of China-ASEAN relations.

First， stay tuned to the big picture of peace and development. We should always look at each other in a positive manner and see each other as opportunities for our own development， respect one another’s national conditions and development paths and accommodate each other’s major concerns. We should strengthen dialogue， promote understanding and reduce suspicion on regional development and the policy orientations of one another. As for the problems that cannot be shelved or solved for now， we should carry out friendly consultations and seek common ground while reserving differences. That way， our relations will be increasingly mature and rational.

Second， make joint efforts for common development through win-win cooperation. We should upgrade the China-ASEAN strategic partnership by synergizing our development strategies， especially the Belt and Road Initiative with the ASEAN Vision 2025， taking into account our own advantages and development needs. We should promote connectivity and production capacity cooperation， trade and investment. The upgraded China-ASEAN FTA must be implemented as soon as possible. The Chinese side is ready to further support the community building of ASEAN and help ASEAN narrow the gap in internal development by taking an active part in and promoting sub-regional cooperation mechanisms such as Lancang-Mekong Cooperation and the Brunei Darussalam， Indonesia， Malaysia， Philippines-East ASEAN Growth Area.

Third， continue to deepen the bond of friendship between China and ASEAN. We should further our cooperation in culture， science and technology， environmental protection， tourism and other fields， and strengthen exchanges among young people， the media， think tanks and local governments. The Chinese side will send more volunteers to ASEAN countries to assist their development in education， medical and healthcare services. This year is the China-ASEAN Year of Tourism Cooperation. It is also the 10th year of the China-ASEAN Education Exchange Week. Our cooperation in tourism and education should also be strengthened on such platforms.

At present， there is still a lack of impetus for world economic growth. Protectionism and de-globalization are negatively impacting regional integration. Non-traditional security threats are posing rising dangers to the peace and stability in the region. Building a China-ASEAN community of shared future featuring win-win cooperation， mutual assistance and shared development embodies China’s aspiration for peaceful development and serves the fundamental interests of ASEAN countries.

In 2018， we’ll celebrate the 15th anniversary of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership. Our relations will enter a new stage of comprehensive development and upgrading. Both sides should seize the opportunity to upgrade the China-ASEAN strategic partnership and build a closer China-ASEAN community of shared future.