State councilor to visit Malaysia, Singapore, attend ASEAN-related meetings

2018-07-27
Xinhua

BEIJING — State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Malaysia and Singapore, and attend a series of foreign minister meetings in Singapore from July 31 to Aug 5.

Wang is visiting at the invitation of Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah and Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the announcement at a press briefing on July 27.

Geng said the meetings to be held in Singapore include a China-ASEAN foreign ministers meeting, meetings between foreign ministers from China, ASEAN, Japan and the Republic of Korea, as well as foreign minister meetings of the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum.

Malaysia and Singapore are important members of ASEAN, as well as China’s friendly neighbors and important cooperation partners, said Geng, adding that China’s relations with the two countries have been developing very well.

“Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir attaches importance to relations with China, and supports the Belt and Road Initiative,” said Geng, adding that State Councilor Wang’s visit will convey China’s sincere will to develop friendly relations with Malaysia, discuss ideas and measures to promote bilateral relations, and exchange views on cooperation and issues of common concern.

“China and Singapore have established a partnership of all-around cooperation keeping with the times and they have achieved fruitful achievements under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative,” Geng said.

He said Wang’s visit is designed to implement consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders, enhance strategic communication, deepen pragmatic cooperation, and exchange views on bilateral relations, cooperation on the Belt and Road, China-ASEAN relations, as well as issues of common concern.

Geng said the ASEAN has always been placed on the front page of China’s foreign cooperation agenda, the priority direction of China’s neighborhood diplomacy and the major area for the construction of the Belt and Road.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of strategic partnership between China and ASEAN, as well as the China-ASEAN’s innovation year.

“China-ASEAN relations have established the most successful and dynamic example of the Asia-Pacific regional cooperation,” Geng said.

China stands ready to continue to work with ASEAN to deepen cooperation, enhance the synergy of development plans, further promote pragmatic cooperation, enhance political and security cooperation, and build a closer community with a shared future for humanity, Geng said.

He expressed the hope that the two sides will properly handle the South China Sea issue, strengthen pragmatic maritime cooperation, and maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea.