On September 15, 2026, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Secretary-General of ASEAN Dr. Kao Kim Hourn in Beijing.

Wang Yi stated that China and ASEAN are good neighbors with frequent exchanges, as well as good friends and good partners of mutual trust and support. China attaches great importance to ASEAN and considers ASEAN a priority in its neighborhood diplomacy. From the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in the 1950s to the policy of building friendships and partnerships with neighbors, and to the philosophy of amity, sincerity, mutual benefit and inclusiveness in pursuing neighborhood diplomacy put forward by President Xi Jinping, China’s neighborhood diplomacy policy has always maintained continuity and stability. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership and the 35th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relations. The development of bilateral relations between the two sides now faces new opportunities. China will continue to support ASEAN unity and ASEAN Community building, support ASEAN’s centrality in the regional architecture, and stand ready to work with ASEAN to build a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future and build a better home for us all, so as to provide a paradigm for building a community with a shared future for humanity.

Wang Yi said that safeguarding peace and stability in the South China Sea serves the common interests of regional countries. China is ready to work with ASEAN countries to fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and advance the negotiations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) to jointly foster a new narrative of peace, stability, cooperation and friendship in the South China Sea.

Kao Kim Hourn said that China is not only a good neighbor of ASEAN, but also a partner that ASEAN can trust and count on. Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two sides, ASEAN-China relations have made significant progress, with the widest areas of cooperation, the most practical outcomes, and the greatest benefits for the people of the region. ASEAN is ready to share opportunities and jointly address challenges with China, continue to deepen and expand practical cooperation across various fields, and bring ASEAN-China relations to a new level. The South China Sea issues should not become an obstacle in ASEAN-China relations. ASEAN is ready to work with China to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea.