ASEAN pledges to deepen comprehensive strategic partnership with China

ASEAN Secretary General Kao Kim Hourn. (Photo: Dao Trang/VNA)

On April 13, Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Kao Kim Hourn said ASEAN is committed to deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership with China and supporting multilateralism.

In an interview with Xinhua News Agency, Mr. Kao Kim Hourn said that since upgrading bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2021, trade between ASEAN and China has skyrocketed, consolidating their position as each other's largest trading partners.

He described the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (FTA) version 3.0 - whose negotiations are basically completed - as a key driver for the two sides' cooperation in the fields of digital economy, green industry, green economy and simplified customs procedures.

"We expect the ASEAN-China FTA 3.0 to be completed this year. This will bring huge economic potential to both sides," Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn stressed.

“We will reduce tariffs to zero in many cases and then expand to all sectors. So that will be good for ensuring that ASEAN is on track to truly become a single market in the future,” said Kao Kim Hourn.

Secretary-General Kao also expressed ASEAN's determination to support free trade amid rising global protectionism./.

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/asean-cam-ket-lam-sau-sac-quan-he-doi-tac-chien-luoc-toan-dien-voi-trung-quoc-post1027544.vnp