Positive regional signals

Updated: 2012-04-06 08:04

(China Daily)

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The 20th summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which concluded on Wednesday in Phnom Penh has sent positive signals for advancing regional integration and common development. It is good to see members of the regional organization are rallying around the ambitious target of realizing the ASEAN community by 2015.

The summit has adopted four outcome documents to guide the regional bloc in its tasks of community building, financial stability, better connectivity and closer cooperation in such fields as disaster management and rural development.

A clear road map and a strong political will to shore up cooperation are badly needed by the emerging economies in Southeast Asia. As developing countries, ASEAN members face both opportunities and challenges on their road to development. They would better achieve their goals in economic and social growth by showing stronger solidarity.

As a region brimming with vitality, Southeast Asia should play a bigger role on the world stage by speaking in one voice. Since the world is undergoing profound changes in its political and economic landscape, ASEAN should strive to have more influence in order to better safeguard the interests of its members and contribute more to world peace and development.

As a close neighbor cherishing a long tradition of friendship with ASEAN countries, China is willing to see the bloc play a greater role in regional affairs. For years, expanding cooperation and seeking mutual benefits have been the trends for Sino-ASEAN relations.

In recent years, the 10+3 mechanism - ASEAN plus China, Japan and the Republic of Korea - has formed the basis of regional economic development. So it is in the interests of both sides to maintain and nourish the healthy trend in Sino-ASEAN ties.

China is committed to building mutual trust and deepening cooperation with ASEAN in a full range of areas. But both sides should remain vigilant against any dissonance that might harm their efforts to sustain the healthy growth in bilateral relations.

During ASEAN's summit this week, there have been some voices seeking to sow discord between ASEAN and China over the South China Sea. The ASEAN summit is not an appropriate platform for discussing an issue that involves only a few ASEAN members. The disputes with China over the maritime territory should be solved bilaterally and through peaceful consultations.

The regional bloc has again showed its support to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea and ASEAN leaders have emphasized the need to intensify efforts to ensure the effective and full implementation of the declaration based on the guidelines for its implementation.

The priority now is to build trust among the concerned parties, push forward the process in a constructive manner, launch reciprocal cooperation and cultivate a good environment for solving the issue.

(China Daily 04/06/2012 page8)