The meetings agenda would include discussions on the developments of the ASEAN-China Cooperation Partnership, preparations for the summit to commemorate 25 years of the ASEAN-China Cooperation Partnership, and the developments concerning regional issues, particularly related to the South China Sea, the foreign ministry said in a statement here, Monday.
At the meeting, the Indonesian government will encourage the ASEAN and China to continue to maintain and prioritize peace, security, and stability in the region by respecting the international law.
ASEAN-China Dialog Relations had been initiated since 1991 during the 24th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Kuala Lumpur. In 1996, China had become ASEANs dialogue partner at the 29th ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Jakarta.
The ASEAN and China had signed a Joint Declaration on Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity at the 7th ASEAN-China Summit in October 2003 in Bali, Indonesia. The declaration has served as the basis for implementing the strategic cooperation partnership.
The cooperation is implemented through a work plan, with focus on agriculture, information technology, human resource development, investment, energy, transport, culture, health, tourism, and the environment.
The ASEAN and China are currently implementing the work plans for the 2016-2020 period. One of the main focuses of the cooperation is to increase ASEAN-China trade value to US$1 trillion and total investment to $150 billion in 2020.
In 2014, the ASEAN-China trade value reached $366.5 billion, and Indonesia was Chinas largest trading partner.
Chinas investment in ASEAN had reportedly reached $21.3 billion in 2014.
The ASEAN Secretary General is scheduled to attend the meeting.
(Reporting by Yuni Arisandy/Uu.INE//KR-BSR/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
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