SINGAPORE – China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Wednesday adopted a key document to chart the course for their ties till 2030.

The China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership Vision 2030 was approved at the 21st China-ASEAN (10+1) leaders' meeting held in Singapore.

The plan will chart the future direction of the ASEAN-China strategic partnership 

Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister, Singapore 

At the 20th China-ASEAN (10+1) leaders' meeting held in Manila, the Philippines in 2017, China and ASEAN agreed to issue the vision on their future ties and contribute to building an open, inclusive, and sustainable world that enjoys peace, security and common prosperity.

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Hailing the vision as a blueprint for the long-term development of bilateral ties, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said at the meeting that the two sides should, under the guidance of the vision, synergize the Belt and Road Initiative with the ASEAN Vision 2025, and strengthen the building of the three pillars – the political security, economy and trade, and people-to-people exchanges, so as to lift China-ASEAN relations to a higher level.

Co-chairing the meeting with Li, Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, whose country holds the rotating ASEAN chairmanship this year, said in the opening remarks that the vision will chart the future direction of the ASEAN-China strategic partnership.

He said ASEAN and China share a strong, substantial and mutually beneficial relationship and their bilateral economic ties are "robust." 

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China has been ASEAN's top trade partner for continued years and the upgraded bilateral free trade agreement will open up new opportunities for businesses and further increase the two-way trade, he added.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership. China has pledged that ASEAN is a priority of China's diplomacy and will support the construction of the ASEAN Community and its centrality in regional cooperation in East Asia.

Established in 1967, ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.