Co-organized by the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA), China Institute for Reform and Development (CIRD), Center for Strategic and International Studies(CSIS), East Asian Institute of National University of Singapore (EAINUS), China-ASEAN High-level Think Tank Forum was successfully held in a hybrid format of on-site participation and video link in Beijing and Haikou, Capital of China Southern Hainan Province, on December 11, 2021. The Chinese delegation, headed by H.E. Mr. Wang Jiarui, Vice Chairman of the 12th Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and Chairman of China Soong Ching Ling Foundation attended the forum. The delegates are composed of Mr. Wang Chao, President of CPIFA, and Amb. Yang Yanyi, member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of 13th CPPCC National Committee & former Chinese Ambassador & Head of Chinese Mission to EU & former Ambassador to Brunei, etc..

The opening ceremony participants from ASEAN side included H.E. Keo Puth Reasmey, Member of Constitutional Council & High Privy councilor of His Majesty & former Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia; H. E. Dr. Bhokin Bhalakula, President of Thai-Chinese Culture and Economy Association &former President of the House of Representatives & President of Thai Parliament; H. E. Somsavat Lengsavad, former Deputy Prime Minister of Laos & former Adviser to the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee; H. E. Dr. Pham Gia Khiem, former Deputy Prime Minister and Vietnam Foreign Minister; H. E. Tan Sri Ong Tee Keat, Founding Chairman of Centre for New Inclusive Asia & former Deputy Speaker of Malaysian Lower House of Parliament & former Minister of Transport; H. E. Dr. Dino Patti Djalal, Founder of Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia & former Vice Foreign Minister of Indonesia; H. E. Amb. Ong Keng Yong, Singaporean Ambassador-at-Large & former Secretary-General of ASEAN; H. E. Pengiran Dato Paduka Osman Patra, former Permanent Secretary of Brunei Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade; H. E. Atty. Darren M. de Jesus, former Deputy Secretary General of Philippine House of Representatives; Mr. U Than Tun, Member of Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies and H.E. Dr. Tang Siew Mun, Director of Political & Security Directorate of ASEAN Secretariat. 

Mr. Wang Jiarui pointed out in his opening remarks that since  the Dialogue relationship was established 30 years ago, China and ASEAN have achieved leapfrog development in our relations. The mutual political trust has been constantly enhanced, the economic and trade cooperation has achieved tangible results, and people-to-people and cultural exchanges have been promoted. Meanwhile, both sides have been cooperating closely in international and regional affairs. The two sides have set a perfect example for good neighbors and win-win cooperation and vividly explicating the concepts of community with a shared future and coordinated development. All above is attributed to not only both sides’ far sight and courage to promote their people’s well beings via mutually beneficial cooperation, but also their wisdom and resolution to sense the tide of time and echo the trend of the history.

Wang mentioned the recent 6th plenary session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), which summed up the significant achievements and historic experiences for the past 100 years of CPC, and said that China has set out on a new journey towards the Second Centenary Goal to build a great modern socialist country in an all-round way. China stands firmly for ASEAN’s unity and its community’ development, for ASEAN’s position as the core in the region’s structure, and for ASEAN’s greater role in regional and international affairs. China expects to joint hand in hand with ASEAN to further release the potential for both sides’ cooperation, to elevate their comprehensive strategic partnership, and to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future so as to contribute for the long-term peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world at large.

Mr. Wang Chao emphasized in his opening remarks that the world was experiencing changes unseen in the past 100 years and that China-ASEAN relations have entered a new stage. For the coming 30 years, China is willing to work along with ASEAN to implement the important consensuses reached by the leaders, further strengthen the political mutual trust, deepen the cooperation for fighting epidemic and economic recovery to benefit the countries and the peoples of both sides and better safeguard the regional peace, stability and prosperity. It is expected that the institutions concerned from both sides make joint efforts to provide platforms for more exchanges between China and ASEAN and play an positive role for another more prosperous 30 years of the two sides.

The theme of the Forum was “ Working in Solidarity and Focusing on Development to Promote China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”. Former statesmen from ASEAN nations, the representative from ASEAN Secretariat, Governor Feng Fei of Hainan Province and forum organizers addressed the opening ceremony respectively. After the opening ceremony, around 40 scholars and experts from both sides exchanged their ideas on the two sessions, namely “Building a deepened China-ASEAN Strategic Trust through Mutual Respect and Sincere Communication” and “Achieving a more Promising China-ASEAN Economic and Trade Cooperation through Mutual Benefit, Openness and Inclusiveness”. Prof. Chi Fulin, President of the CIRD delivered a special speech entitled “Hainan Free Trade Port in the backdrop of Promoting China-ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”. More than 200 audience were present online and offline.