(VOVworld)- The Special ASEAN China Foreign Minister Meeting to mark the 10^th anniversary of their strategic partnership will be held in Beijing, China later this week. The conference is one of the special dialogue mechanisms between the two sides, which aim to further their strategic partnership amidst the fluctuations in the region and the world.

The partnership between ASEAN and China has developed dynamically in the 22 years since they set up the partnership and especially in the last ten years since they raised it to a strategic partnership. The belief and friendship between the two sides has been continuously consolidated and strengthened. China was the first dialogue partner to set up a strategic partnership with ASEAN and also the first one to participate in the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and the Free Trade Agreement with ASEAN.

Trade turnover between ASEAN and China reached 54.7 billion USD in 2002, when ASEAN was China’s 5^th largest trading partner and China was ASEAN’s 3^rd largest partner. 10 years later in 2012, trade turnover between ASEAN and China reached more than 400 billion USD. China is currently ASEAN’s largest trading partner. Approximately 15 million people travel between the two annually. Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Vinh says these achievements are due to the determination and support of leaders on both sides. Mr. Vinh said: “There are about 40 dialogue mechanisms between ASEAN and China covering all areas from politics, and security to economics, culture and society. Every year, the two sides hold senior and ministerial meetings to review bilateral cooperation and implement their leaders’ guidelines. ASEAN and China have a separate dialogue mechanism to implement the Declaration of the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea and the two sides have worked out several other dialogue mechanisms to guarantee plans of action in other areas”.

ASEAN and China are both located in dynamic East Asia. In 46 years of development, ASEAN has increased its central role in the region. Meanwhile China has become the world’s second biggest economic power with a population of 1.3 billion people. The partnership between ASEAN and China is important not only for them but also for the peace, security and development of the whole region. The two sides are joining efforts to boost trade and economic relations as well as connectivity in East Asia. But recent intervention by world powers in the region have impacted the relationship between ASEAN and China, requiring both sides to tighten their cooperation. Mr. Vinh told VOV: “The relationship between ASEAN and China should be developed on the principle of respecting independence and sovereignty, not intervening into internal affairs, settling all disputes according to international law and ensuring the goal of building an ASEAN Community. In developing relations with world powers, it is important to promote the bloc’s strength of unity.

Both ASEAN and China are aware of the importance of maintaining peace and stability for their development. Addressing the opening of the 10^th anniversary of the establishment of the ASEAN-China strategic partnership in Thailand, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi reiterated that China’s new government respects China’s friendship and neighborliness with ASEAN and supports ASEAN’s central role in the region and promises to support ASEAN’s efforts to build a community. He said China is willing to cooperate with ASEAN countries to peacefully resolve disputes in the East Sea and fully implement the DOC and the future COC to make the East Sea a region of peace and cooperation.

ASEAN and China will continue to maintain and strengthen measures to build mutual trust and understanding considering it an important foundation for developing fine and long-standing cooperation and in solving pending issues. This will be high on the agenda of the Special ASEAN- China Foreign Ministerial Meeting marking the 10^th anniversary of their strategic partnership in Beijing, China. The Vietnamese delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh, is expected to further contribute to the development of relations between Vietnam and China as well as between ASEAN and China.