China-ASEAN Cooperation in 2012

The year 2012 marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Framework Agreement on China-ASEAN Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and the year of China-ASEAN science and technology cooperation. Through the concerted efforts of the two sides, the initiatives announced by leaders of the two sides at last year's Commemorative Summit to Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of China-ASEAN Dialogue Relations have been or are being vigorously implemented. Progress has been made in the development of the China-ASEAN FTA and cooperation in science and technology, the environment, culture and education, and many other fields, taking China-ASEAN strategic partnership to a higher level.

I. Political Exchange, Defense and Security

High-Level Exchanges

China and ASEAN have maintained close high-level contacts in 2012. Some 50 mutual visits by officials at or above deputy-prime-minister level were made between the two sides. These visits have further strengthened strategic mutual trust, communication and coordination.

Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi attended the ASEAN Post Ministerial Meetings in Phnom Penh in July and reaffirmed China's policy of promoting good-neighborly and friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation with ASEAN.

In order to set up a contact mechanism with ASEAN, China opened a mission to ASEAN in Jakarta, Indonesia and appointed Mme. Yang Xiuping as Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN. The Chinese Mission to ASEAN was inaugurated on September 27.

The two sides have maintained close communication and coordination on major global and regional issues within multilateral organizations, including the UN, G20, APEC and East Asia Summit, to work for the establishment of a fair and just international political and economic order, making positive contributions to regional peace, stability and prosperity.

Cooperation in the South China Sea

The year 2012 marks the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC). There is a generally good momentum of implementation of the DOC. China and ASEAN countries held the fourth senior officials meeting and seventh working group meeting on the implementation of the DOC in Beijing in January and the fifth senior officials meeting in Hanoi in June. Participants reached broad common ground on implementing the DOC and advancing practical cooperation in the South China Sea.

According to the 2012 Working Plan adopted at the fourth senior officials meeting, China hosted the seminar on marine disaster prevention and mitigation in the South China Sea and the seminar on marine ecological environment and surveillance technology in the South China Sea.

China and ASEAN countries have maintained communication over discussions on a code of conduct in the South China Sea (COC). Senior officials held informal consultations on COC on July 8 and September 13 respectively. By discussing relevant issues, parties have enhanced mutual understanding and expressed the desire to jointly uphold peace and stability in the South China Sea. China also attended the Track 1.5 seminar on COC held by think tanks of ASEAN countries in Malaysia and exchanged views with other parties over relevant issues.

Defense and Security

On May 29, Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Gn. Liang Guanglie attended the first China-ASEAN Defense Ministers' Consultation in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Parties exchanged views on the security situation in the region and discussed ways to deepen mutual trust and cooperation.

In May, police of China and seven ASEAN countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia and the Philippines, jointly busted the "November 29" major telecom fraud gang and arrested 482 suspects, which effectively curbed the rampancy of such crime.

Police departments of the two sides have maintained close exchanges and communication through various seminars and workshops. China sent a delegation to the 32nd ASEAN Chiefs of Police Meeting held in Naypyidaw, Myanmar in May. The China-ASEAN senior police officers workshop was held in Zhejiang, China in June. The ninth China-ASEAN investigation technology training program was held in Beijing from June to August. China also plans to hold senior law-enforcement officers workshop in the year and invite law-enforcement officers of ASEAN countries to the workshop.

II. Business and Investment

China-ASEAN two-way trade grew by 23.9% to US$362.85 billion in 2011. ASEAN became China's third largest trading partner, the fourth largest export market and the second largest source of import. China remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for the third consecutive year. In the first 9 months of 2012, two-way trade hit US$288.98 billion.

China-ASEAN two-way investment has kept growing, totaling US$94 billion by the end of September, 2012. Chinese enterprises have set up 5 overseas economic cooperation zones in Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia since 2006, with a total planning area of 31 square km. By the end of July, 2012, US$934 million have been invested and 91 enterprises have established businesses in the economic zones, producing an output of US$1.45 billion and creating nearly 8,000 jobs.

By the end of July, 2012, Chinese enterprises have signed project contracts worth US$134.9 billion in ASEAN countries and generated a turnover of US$87 billion.

The Ninth China-ASEAN Expo

The ninth China-ASEAN Expo was held in Nanning, Guangxi from September 21 to 25, 2012. Vice President Xi Jinping, President U Thein Sein of Myanmar, the theme country of the Expo, Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong, Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Mohamad Yassin and Thai Deputy Prime Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong, Special Envoy Roxas of Philippine President, Deputy Secretary-General Lim Hong Hin of the ASEAN Secretariat, and Secretary-General Supachai of the UNCTD attended the Expo.

The ninth China-ASEAN Business and Investment Summit and the Forum on China-ASEAN FTA were also successfully held in Nanning during that period. The theme of the summit is "Connectivity for Win-Win". Vice President Xi Jinping attended the opening ceremony and delivered a keynote speech entitled Work Together Towards Deeper Cooperation and Sustained Development. Myanmar President U Thein Sein attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the summit.

III. Financial Cooperation

On May 17, 2012, the State Development Bank (SDB) of China hosted the second meeting of the Council of China-ASEAN Inter-bank Association in Beijing. Member banks of the Association signed the Supplement Agreement on China-ASEAN Inter-Bank Association Cooperation, had an in-depth exchange on strengthening cooperation, and discussed the feasibility of providing financing support to major projects in the fields of infrastructure, power, agriculture, SMEs, energy resources as well as conducting cooperation on local currency settlement and capital transaction, thus laying the foundation for further cooperation.

IV. Science and Technology,

Environmental Protection, and

Intellectual Property Rights

Science and Technology

The year 2012 is the year of China-ASEAN science and technological cooperation. China and ASEAN held a host of activities themed on science and technology.

On May 18, the seventh meeting of China-ASEAN Joint Science and Technology Committee was held in Myanmar's capital city Naypyidaw. On September 22, the first China-ASEAN science and technology ministers meeting was held in Nanning, Guangxi. Chinese Science and Technology Minister Wan Gang, science ministers of the ten ASEAN countries, and senior officials of the ASEAN Secretariat attended the meeting. The China-ASEAN Science and Technology Partnership Program was formally launched in Nanning on the same day. The project of jointly building a platform for sharing resources satellite data, the first project under the science and technology partnership program, was also launched. The workshop on science and technology policy and management for ASEAN countries and the China-ASEAN Forum were held in China in October and November respectively.

Environmental Protection

In 2012, China and ASEAN actively implemented the China-ASEAN Environmental Protection Cooperation Strategy, drew up the Action Plan of China-ASEAN Environmental Cooperation, and carried out such activities as policy dialogue, capacity building and research on regional environmental cooperation.

Implementing the China-ASEAN Green Ambassador Plan

The plan aims at, through seminars and exchanges, improving the environment management ability of government decision-makers, enhancing the environmental awareness of the public, promoting exchanges between the youth of the two sides in the field of environmental protection, and advancing innovation of environmental friendly technology.

The China-ASEAN Youth Seminar on Green Development was held in Beijing between May 22 and 24, 2012. The China-ASEAN workshop on green economy and environment management was held in Beijing from July 15 to 21, 2012.

Implementing the China-ASEAN Cooperation Plan of Biological Diversity and Ecological Protection

On September 18, 2012, the China-ASEAN seminar on the practice of biological diversity protection was held in Beijing, where participants exchanged views and shared experience on the successful practice of protecting biological diversity.

Intellectual Property Rights

In 2012, China and ASEAN have conducted extensive and in-depth exchanges and cooperation in intellectual property rights (IPR).

In order to promote China-ASEAN dialogue on IPR development at the global, regional and national levels and implement the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the People's Republic of China and Governments of the Member Countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Intellectual Property Rights Cooperation, China hosted the 2012 China-ASEAN Seminar on the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights, Traditional Knowledge and Genetic Resources in Beijing from September 10 to 12. Participating IPR officials, experts and scholars from China and ASEAN countries discussed the protection of traditional knowledge and genetic resources and expressed desire for closer cooperation in this field.

V. Information and Communication

Technology and Civil Aviation

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

China and ASEAN have carried out steady exchanges and cooperation in ICT since the beginning of the year.

China participated in the working group meeting of China-ASEAN ICT senior officials meeting in March and the roundtable meeting of China-ASEAN telecommunications regulatory council in July, and exchanged views with other parties over ICT development and regulation policy and ICT cooperation projects between China and ASEAN.

In January, the China-ASEAN training course on broadband communications technology and application was held in Shenzhen. In June, the China-ASEAN seminar on IT-application in SMEs was held in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province. In September, the China-ASEAN seminar on distance education and the China-ASEAN seminar on broadband wireless mobile communications technology and application were held in Nanning and Beijing respectively.

China plans to host the China-ASEAN training course on cloud computing technology and application and China-ASEAN seminar on cyber security in the year. Representatives from competent ICT authorities of ASEAN countries and the ASEAN Secretariat will be invited. These activities have helped the exchange of experience and capacity building on information development and cyber security between the two sides.

Civil Aviation

The two sides held the sixth working group meeting on China-ASEAN regional air services arrangement in 2012 to continue consultation on further expanding China-ASEAN regional air transport arrangement.

The sixth working group meeting between the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and ASEAN on regional air transport arrangement was held in Kunming, Yunnan Province from September 10 to 14, 2012. Participants had consultations on the second protocol to the China-ASEAN Air Transport Agreement (CAATA) which concerns the fifth freedom traffic rights between China and ASEAN and those between the two and a third country.

China will host the China-ASEAN seminar on the management of civil aviation operation safety in Yunnan in November and train 20 management professionals in civil aviation safety for ASEAN countries.

China will also host the China-ASEAN seminar on airport and airspace capacity assessment in Tianjin within this year and train 20 management professionals in air traffic for ASEAN countries.

The 11th China-ASEAN transport ministers meeting and senior officials meeting will be held in Indonesia in November. The Civil Aviation Administration of China will attend the meeting and report on the civil aviation cooperation between China and ASEAN over the past year and the latest developments.