On June 15, 2021, the Center for International Strategic Studies of the Counsellors’ Office of the State Council (COSC) held “Seminar on China-ASEAN Relations” in Beijing. With a combination of online and offline formats, the seminar was chaired by Sun Weijia, Director-General of the Department of the International Exchanges and Cooperation of the COSC.

At the seminar, 18 experts and scholars from six ASEAN countries and China exchanged in-depth views centering on three topics: the current status of China-ASEAN strategic partnership, multi-area cooperation and “promoting the building of a community of with a shared future for humanity”. The scholars reviewed the achievements in the development of China-ASEAN relations over the past 30 years and agreed that in the face of future challenges, mutual trust was the key to the continued development of China-ASEAN relations, and that both parties should accommodate each other’s concerns, pragmatically promote the “Belt and Road” international cooperation and facilitate the building of a more closely-knit community with a shared future for humanity.

The experts agreed that this year marked the 30th anniversary of China-ASEAN dialogue relations, which on the one hand have achieved milestones in the past 30 years, and on the other face many challenges in the new situation. In this context, inviting experts from China-ASEAN think tanks to exchanges insights was conducive to enhancing understanding and consensus and promoting the building of a regional community with a shared future.