Over the past 30 years since the establishment of the dialogue relationship between China and ASEAN, China-ASEAN relations have become the most successful and dynamic model of cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. China and ASEAN are connected by mountains and rivers, share cultural connections, and share a common destiny. Constantly exploring cooperation opportunities and improving the quality and level of cooperation have provided a continuous driving force for the sustainable development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

The demand for win-win development continues to increase

Emerging industries such as green and sustainable industries are important areas of cooperation between China and ASEAN.

In Indonesia, the Cirata floating photovoltaic project built by a Chinese company is the first in Indonesia and the largest in Southeast Asia, with a total installed capacity of 192 megawatts. Chinese investment is also promoting the sustainable development and utilization of Indonesia's nickel ore resources and supporting the local production of electric vehicle batteries...

"Indonesia and China have many common interests and cooperation points in low-carbon development." Pei Lianjie, Minister of the Indonesian Embassy in China, said that Indonesia actively promotes sustainable development and has clarified economic transformation strategies such as green and low-carbon development and digital transformation, which requires more international cooperation to promote and achieve. At present, Indonesia and China have carried out many projects in environmentally related sustainable technologies, and hope to strengthen cooperation with China in green smart cities.

The exchanges and cooperation between China and Indonesia in areas related to sustainability are a microcosm of China and ASEAN's joint pursuit of new development opportunities.

China and ASEAN are both in the global south, providing development opportunities for each other and with huge potential for cooperation. At the regional economic and trade cooperation and sustainable development dialogue held in Beijing recently, Chinese and foreign guests expressed that deepening economic and trade cooperation is necessary for the development of both China and ASEAN. The event was co-hosted by the Foreign Affairs Office of Chaoyang District Government of Beijing, the Beijing Central Business District Management Committee, and the Think Tank for Globalization. Participants offered suggestions on promoting sustainable development in the China-ASEAN region.

Chen Shiping, special adviser to the vice president of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, said that ASEAN has abundant natural resources and demographic dividends, and is one of the regions with the most economic development vitality and potential in the world. ASEAN is the world's fifth largest economy and the third largest population in the world. The investment rate of return is very attractive and it continues to optimize its investment attraction policies. China has taken the lead in the development of energy, manufacturing, digital economy and other fields, and has also carried out relevant investments in ASEAN. ASEAN expects foreign investment, including from China, to focus more on advanced manufacturing fields such as new energy vehicles and automotive batteries.

When talking about how ASEAN can deepen trade and investment cooperation with China to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results, Chen Shiping believes that ASEAN should do a good job in creating a business environment, cultivating and reserving talents, and further improve infrastructure construction. In addition to working together to promote the hard connectivity of infrastructure, ASEAN also needs to bridge the gap in soft connectivity such as law and digital, coordinate well, and build a more complete legal framework so that people and resources can flow across borders more smoothly.

Huo Jianguo, vice president of the China WTO Research Association, stressed that under the current complex international situation, China should make every effort to consolidate and strengthen economic and trade cooperation with ASEAN and build a new pattern of mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation. It is necessary to focus on the development of trade in services and further promote the deep integration and development of China and ASEAN by accelerating the opening up of trade in services.

Open integration practice linkage development

China and ASEAN have complementary resources and industrial advantages, and can learn from each other's development experience. In the view of Sun Yi, Director of the Comprehensive Coordination Department of the China-ASEAN Center, sustainable development provides strong support for economic and trade cooperation between the two sides under the background of economic globalization. In this regard, Sun Yi talked about three points of view.

Regional economic integration is deepening. ASEAN has maintained its position as China's largest trading partner for four consecutive years, and China has been ASEAN's largest trading partner for many years. The two sides are important sources and destinations of investment for each other. China has signed bilateral investment agreements with the ten ASEAN countries, and has signed capacity cooperation documents with Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and other countries. It has jointly built industrial parks such as Cambodia's Sihanoukville Special Economic Zone, Thailand-China Rayong Industrial Park, and China-Malaysia, China-Indonesia "two countries, two parks", and the industrial chain and supply chain of the two sides are more closely connected. More than 90% of China-ASEAN goods have enjoyed zero tariff treatment. The full entry into force of RCEP and the active promotion of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 negotiations have continuously driven the in-depth development of regional economic and trade cooperation, bringing significant trade creation effects and investment driving effects.

Regional connectivity is becoming increasingly close. China and ASEAN have built a new Eurasian logistics channel supported by direct rail and road transport, laying a hard connection foundation for the two sides to deepen cooperation. The interconnection of transportation networks will accelerate the construction of the Pan-Asian high-speed rail economic circle and promote the economic leap and regional economic integration of China and ASEAN countries.

Cultural exchanges boost the regional economy. With geographical connections, ethnic affinity and cultural similarities, China-ASEAN comprehensive and pragmatic cooperation has a deep and solid public support. The implementation of the mutual visa exemption policy, the establishment of fast-track personnel channels and green channels for goods have played an important role in promoting the sustainable development of bilateral trade and economic cooperation.

As an important window for the capital's international exchanges, as well as a frontier area for the capital's international financial opening and a main bearing area for an international consumer center city, Beijing's Chaoyang District is also actively building a platform to promote the strengthening of economic and trade exchanges with ASEAN countries. According to data provided by Zhang Guanbin, deputy district head of Beijing's Chaoyang District, as of April this year, ASEAN countries have established nearly 500 foreign-funded enterprises in Chaoyang District, with a total investment of US$5.5 billion. In the future, Chaoyang District will adhere to the principles of openness, inclusiveness, mutual benefit and win-win results, and actively promote international economic and trade cooperation with ASEAN, including ASEAN, to a higher quality, deeper level and wider field.

Regarding the cooperation between Beijing and ASEAN, Sun Yi suggested that the two sides should focus on new quality productivity, focus on the digital economy, green economy, strategic emerging industries and future industries, strengthen cooperation in the field of technological innovation, jointly build an open and innovative cooperation network, enhance regional industrial competitive advantages, and create a new growth pole for economic cooperation.