China Won’t Bully Small Countries, Xi Says to Asean Leaders, East Asia News and Top Stories

BEIJING – Chinese President Xi Jinping assured Southeast Asian leaders that China does not seek hegemony and will not intimidate its smaller neighbors, even as tensions in the South China Sea have escalated.

At a special summit held virtually Monday (November 22) between key leaders of China and the ASEAN states to mark 30 years of dialogue relations, Xi also pledged aid in terms of Covid vaccines. 19 and funds to support the group’s pandemic response.

The meeting comes after a skirmish in the South China Sea last week (November 16) that involved the Chinese Coast Guard blocking boats carrying supplies to the Philippine military in the disputed Spratly Islands and firing a water cannon at the boats.

The incident, which China said was an act in defense of its sovereignty, sparked strong protests from the Philippine government and a warning from the United States that it would come to the aid of its ally if an armed attack was launched.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte took advantage of the virtual summit to condemn this act. “We abhor the recent event on the Ayungin Bench and view with deep concern other similar developments,” he said, adding that the episode “does not speak well of the relationship between our nations and our country. partnership”.

It is not clear whether Xi responded to Duterte’s remarks, but he spoke cordially to ASEAN leaders and stressed the bloc’s high priority in China’s regional relations.

“China was, is and always will be ASEAN’s good neighbor, good friend and good partner,” he told the leaders of the bloc via a video link, according to a reading published by the news agency. Xinhua State Press.

China will “steadfastly” support the unity and centrality of ASEAN, as well as the group playing a larger role in regional and international affairs, the Chinese leader said.

To maintain peace in the region, countries must continue dialogue instead of confrontation, he added.

“China will never seek hegemony, let alone intimidate small countries.

Southeast Asian countries will receive 150 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine, as well as an injection of US $ 5 million (S $ 6.8 million) into their joint response fund from the ‘Asean, Xi said.

China is also ready to offer ASEAN $ 1.5 billion in development assistance over the next three years to support its fight against Covid-19 and accelerate economic recovery.

It will also work with ASEAN states to scale up joint vaccine production, collaborate on drug research and development, and help Southeast Asian countries build their capacity to respond to major public health emergencies. .

As the leaders marked a milestone in relations on Monday, they also gave it a “comprehensive strategic partnership” status, which allows for deeper collaboration between the parties.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Asean and China should consider how to gradually open up their borders as vaccination rates improve in the region.

Summit leaders also discussed improving their free trade area, signed in 2002, and rolling out the largest and most recent trade pact, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in a statement at the meeting said she could help speed up regional recovery.

Signed in November 2020 and entering into force in January 2022, the RCEP is a mega trade agreement involving the 10 member states of ASEAN and its five free trade agreement partners: China, Japan, South Korea. South, Australia and New Zealand.

China is Asean’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade reaching US $ 410.75 billion in the first half of this year alone and accounting for nearly 15% of China’s total foreign trade, said Beijing.

Xi on Monday pledged to buy up to $ 150 billion worth of agricultural products from Asean over the next five years; China will also support an exchange program for 300 young scientists from the region to visit during the same period.

The two sides issued a joint statement after the meeting, which, among other things, reaffirmed the principles of ASEAN’s Indo-Pacific outlook, the bloc’s own Indo-Pacific vision.

China has always been opposed to the term, which reconceptualizes the region and the dominance of the East Asian giant over it.

The declaration also reaffirmed the importance of upholding international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and a commitment to freedom of navigation and flight over the sea. from southern China.

Burmese junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has been sorely lacking at the high-level summit, as ASEAN leaders have remained firm on their consensus that the country is sending an apolitical representative.

China had pushed for the Myanmar general to attend, but ASEAN leaders opposed it. They first want to see progress on an agreement to let an ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar to help mediate a peaceful solution to the violent military coup staged in February.

Asked about Myanmar’s absence, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian simply said the meeting was a success, thanks to the efforts of China, Myanmar, the Philippines and others. .

Myanmar is an important member of the ASEAN family, and China supports the centrality of ASEAN and the five-point consensus agreement it has reached with Myanmar, he said.

Myanmar is the coordinating country for ASEAN-China relations this year.

Chinese state media later reported that the Chinese ambassador to Myanmar briefed the country’s foreign minister about the summit.

He said Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin said Myanmar was “satisfied with the success of the summit” and had made “the necessary efforts for the outcome of the summit and would continue to play the role of role of coordinating country “.