China, ASEAN agree to strengthen cooperation

BEIJING, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday met with ambassadors of the 10 ASEAN member states to China in Beijing.

China and ASEAN countries should jointly address challenges, work together to uphold multilateralism, and coordinate to maintain regional peace, suggested Wang.

ASEAN is willing to maintain close communication and cooperation with China to ensure the success of this year's East Asian leaders' meeting on cooperation, the ambassadors pledged.

The two sides agreed to strengthen the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025, explore ways to develop a "blue economic partnership," strengthen cooperation in the digital economy and other fields, further deepen people-to-people exchange, strive to conclude the negotiation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) within the year, and uphold multilateralism and free trade.

Founded in 1967, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.