The 27th ASEAN-China Summit was held with Prime Minister of Laos, Sonexay Siphandone, as chair and attended by his Chinese counterpart, Li Qiang, to assess progresses made so far and outline the path ahead to improve the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between both countries.
In line with the central theme of the regional bloc’s summits, the debates focused on strengthening connectivity and resilience to benefit the regional bloc, China and the global community.
ASEAN and China leaders expressed deep appreciation for the fruitful outcomes of bilateral cooperation over the past 33 years, covering political, security, economic and socio-cultural areas.
China has been the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ largest trading partner since 2008, while the latter has been the largest trading partner for Beijing for three consecutive years, starting in 2020.
“At today’s meeting, the substantial conclusion of the negotiations for the update of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area 3.0 was jointly announced, marking a milestone in their economic relationship. Additionally, five final documents considered key were adopted.”
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