Chinese DM urges practical co-op to boost ties with ASEAN

Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan on Tuesday highlighted practical steps and optimized mechanisms in advancing regional cooperation in East Asia during a meeting with his ASEAN counterparts.

The ASEAN-China Consultative Meeting took place on the sidelines of the 7th ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting (ADMM), during which the ministers pledged to intensify their works towards ASEAN Community building and strengthening ASEAN centrality through the role of ADMM.

To effectively cope with complex security challenges, China and ASEAN should "promote comprehensive security, common security and cooperative security, setting practical cooperation as the key note, gathering positive momentum and reducing differences through cooperation," Chang said during the 90-minute meeting.

China-ASEAN bilateral trade volume exceeded 400 billion U.S. dollars in 2012, making China the largest trading partner of ASEAN for the fourth year and ASEAN the third largest trading partner of China.

Chang said China is willing to work with ASEAN countries to further enrich the content of cooperation, expand the scope and innovate the norms of the cooperation while conducting practical cooperation in the fields of military education, personnel training, joint exercise and training and acquisition.

In recent years, regional defense cooperation such as ASEAN+1, ASEAN+3, ADMM-Plus have been well underway.

"China is ready to take concerted efforts with all parties of ASEAN to actively utilize the existing security mechanisms, strengthen communication and synergy and jointly promote the building of a new regional security cooperation architecture with Asian characteristics," the Chinese defense minister said.

ASEAN defense ministers spoke highly of Chang's speech and considered the consultative meeting a good platform for enhancing China-ASEAN exchanges of defense policies and for boosting mutual understanding between the two sides.

On Tuesday morning, Chang visited the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Defense Academy. He will pay a courtesy call on Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah at Istana Nurul Iman on Wednesday.