国内英语资讯:Chinese state councilor meets ASEAN secretary-general, Philippine, Singapore FMs on coronavi_时事

国内英语资讯:Chinese state councilor meets ASEAN secretary-general, Philippine, Singapore FMs on coronavi

VIENTIANE, Feb. 20 -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met ASEAN Secretary-General, Philippine and Singaporean foreign ministers here on Wednesday night to discuss the joint combat against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic.

During his meeting with ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi, Wang said the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Coronavirus Disease to be held on Thursday will send a positive signal that China and ASEAN countries are fighting the COVID-19 epidemic together, and China-ASEAN relations will further develop.

Public health is a common cause crossing national borders, and China is willing to enhance cooperation with ASEAN in this area, so as to inject new content to China-ASEAN relations, Wang said.

The Chinese side hopes the ASEAN Secretariat will continue to lead and coordinate ASEAN to firmly pursue China-friendly policies, and play an active role in pushing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to be signed as scheduled, he added.

For his part, Lim said that China is an important strategic partner of ASEAN. In face of the novel coronavirus epidemic, ASEAN firmly stands with China.

ASEAN is willing to work with China to strengthen cooperation on health security in the frameworks of ASEAN-China (10+1) and ASEAN-China-Japan-South Korea (10+3), he added.

Next year is the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations, Lim said, the ASEAN Secretariat is willing to actively push forward the docking of China's Belt and Road Initiative and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025.