Message to ASEAN 50th Anniversary
In the past few days, Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, where the ASEAN Secretariat is located, has been filled with a warm atmosphere celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN. On August 11, the ASEAN Secretariat held a commemorative ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the founding of ASEAN in Jakarta. Indonesian President Joko, Indonesian Foreign Minister Leitno, Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifa, and ASEAN Secretary-General Li Liangming came to the celebration site. More than 400 representatives from ASEAN member countries, dialogue partners, diplomatic missions, international organizations and social groups attended the celebration together.
Li Liangming said in his speech that since the establishment of ASEAN 50 years ago, Southeast Asia has made great progress, established a partnership of mutual trust in the region, fully respected regional diversity, and achieved mutual benefit and win-win results.
Bring peace, prosperity and stability to the once conflicted Southeast Asia
ASEAN not only achieved regional peace, but also brought economic prosperity. During the 50 years of development, ASEAN has always been steadily moving forward in integrating into globalization and has achieved solid results. The economies of various countries have maintained a relatively rapid growth level. For example, Thailand's tourism, Philippine agriculture and forestry, and Indonesia's mining industry have all achieved rapid development. People's lives have been significantly improved, and the number of poor people has been greatly reduced. According to the latest data released by ASEAN, the current total economic volume of ASEAN is about 2.6 trillion US dollars, making it the sixth largest economy in the world.
Leitno said that ASEAN "turned a once-contradictory Southeast Asia into a peaceful, prosperous and stable region." Chinese Ambassador to ASEAN Xu Bu told Xinwen.com Brunei reporter that since its establishment, ASEAN has pursued an independent, neutral and non-aligned foreign policy, actively explored and adhered to development paths that suit its own characteristics, and is committed to strengthening internal unity and resolving regional disputes. From turbulence to stability in Southeast Asia, from confrontation to cooperation, from poverty to prosperity. ASEAN has become the most important regional organization in the region, and a model of unity and self-reliance for countries with different social systems and development levels.
Ambassador Emalin, Permanent Representative of Brunei to ASEAN, said that ASEAN has shown great adaptability over the past 50 years and has made great contributions to promoting regional peace, prosperity and harmony. Ambassador Chen Hancheng, Permanent Representative of Singapore to ASEAN, said that ASEAN has played an important role in maintaining regional peace and security and promoting the rapid economic development of Southeast Asia.
The flexibility of the "ASEAN Way" is the inherent vitality of regional development
While actively participating in globalization, ASEAN has spared no effort in advancing integration and has gradually developed into a strong and closely connected regional organization. ASEAN highlights the unique concept of "One Vision, One Identity, One Community", and at the end of 2015 announced the establishment of an ASEAN community with three pillars: a political security community, an economic community, and a social and cultural community, becoming the first in Asia Sub-regional community.
The success of the "ASEAN Way" is due to its insistence on mutual respect, consensus and the comfort of all parties. It promotes mutual understanding and trust among member states, recognizes their respective interests and visions in their differences, and pursues common ground. the goal. ASEAN is based on maintaining the dominant status of its member states and making regional integration more conducive to the development of all countries, rather than replacing sovereign states with regional cooperation organizations. This flexibility is the inherent vitality of ASEAN’s development.
Today, ASEAN is using its status as a regional organization to build cooperation mechanisms with other countries, to conduct dialogues and develop cooperation on important bilateral, regional and world issues. In recent years, ASEAN has signed a number of investment and trade agreements with international organizations and countries such as the European Union, the United States, Canada, and Japan. At the same time, it has continuously promoted the negotiation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP).
According to statistics, if the ASEAN-led RCEP is reached, a trade group with a population of approximately 3 billion, a total GDP of approximately US$21 trillion, and approximately 30% of world trade will be formed. This will not only enhance ASEAN’s influence in regional affairs, but may also facilitate the realization of a larger Asia-Pacific free trade area.
Since the establishment of dialogue relations between China and ASEAN in 1991, they have adhered to the theme of cooperation and development. The political mutual trust between the two sides has been continuously strengthened, economic and trade cooperation has developed by leaps and bounds, cultural exchanges have become closer, and practical cooperation has yielded fruitful results. The China-ASEAN relationship has become the most dynamic and richest group of relations in the ASEAN-Dialogue Partnership.
Asean Deputy Secretary-General Mukhtan said in an interview with a Brunei reporter from Xinwen.com that China and ASEAN have carried out good cooperation under the framework of the “Belt and Road” initiative and the implementation of the “Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea” and achieved positive results. Looking to the future, the two sides should further strengthen dialogue, promote cultural exchanges, establish broader connectivity, and promote the construction of a shared and prosperous region on the basis of deepening existing cooperation.
In the past 10 years, Southeast Asia has been one of the fastest growing regions in the world. Looking ahead, the economic influence and market potential of this region will continue to expand. While admiring the achievements of ASEAN over the past 50 years, people are also clearly aware of the challenges ahead.
ASEAN integration has a long road ahead, and opportunities and challenges coexist
Mukhtan stated that the establishment of the ASEAN Community in 2015 was a "milestone" in the history of the organization's development, but "integration" will be a long journey with both opportunities and challenges. ASEAN takes the "Vision 2025" as its next goal. In the future, it will strive to achieve its own development goals while continuing to pursue regional peace and stability.
However, the level of infrastructure is relatively backward, and the level of development of each member country is uneven, which is still a huge challenge restricting the development of ASEAN. Leaders of ASEAN member states have mentioned many times that continuing to promote integration and actively embracing globalization, including connecting one's own development with the "Belt and Road" initiative, can provide continuous impetus for the future development of ASEAN.
Analysis pointed out that the national conditions and political systems of ASEAN members are very different, and ASEAN strictly adheres to the principle of consensus and non-interference in all decision-making, as a regional organization, it is inevitable that it is insufficient to promote the cooperation process. How to maintain a balance among the world's major powers, properly handle regional hotspots and sensitive issues, and avoid the differentiation and weakening of ASEAN by some extraterritorial powers is also a test facing ASEAN.
Looking to the future, Emalin said: "As we commemorate the 50th anniversary of ASEAN, let us continue to work together to further strengthen our sense of community by building trust and expanding cooperation, so as to bring benefits to the people of ASEAN and beyond. "