Exclusive

Joycee A. Teodoro

In economic terms， the Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank are important to the region. According to the Asian Development Bank， the need for infrastructure financing in Asia is so great that all efforts to contribute to this are welcome. Thus， there should be no hindrance to welcoming both the Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank.

Both China and ASEAN have benefited from their robust economic relations. There are many ways for them to further contribute to each others development and progress. More complementarity and synergy must be placed on the agenda for the two sides.

Chinas success in creating a highly skilled workforce， coupled with its large population， should be envied by other states. Chinas ASEAN neighbors should take note of this and find a way to complement this development.

The citizens of ASEAN member states should be encouraged to take advantage of educational opportunities in China， especially in the fields of science and technology.

Technology transfers between China and ASEAN should be promoted through scientific cooperation.

Mutual understanding should be promoted by encouraging more students from ASEAN member states to study in China and more Chinese students to study in ASEAN countries.

More cultural exchanges should be undertaken， especially performances conducted through the cultural centers in China and ASEAN member states.

Lye Liang Fook

Being practical requires both ASEAN and China to be non-ideological and set realistic project targets and timelines while working in specific areas. There should also be a mechanism in place to monitor progress and address challenges when they arise. In this way， both ASEAN and China can make incremental progress over time. These concrete results would then generate the momentum for the countries to further deepen and broaden their areas of cooperation.

In any area of cooperation pursued by ASEAN and China， the parties involved should ensure that benefits are shared. In particular， it is important to ensure that the benefits of any project trickle down to the local community where these projects are sited.

Both sides should work expeditiously to conclude a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership as one of the avenues to achieve the ultimate goal of a free trade area in the Asia-Pacific. Both Singapore and China have recently reaffirmed their support for this scheme and are working together toward the conclusion of negotiations.

Both sides should also promote greater numbers of Chinese enterprises to expand into Southeast Asia and encourage more outgoing FDI from China， so as to facilitate the relocation of Chinese enterprises to Southeast Asia during the next phase of growth under the Belt and Road Initiative. This will not only generate employment and income growth in recipient countries but also promote the view that Chinas economic interests in the region extend beyond resource extraction. A rising middle class in ASEAN seeking more employment opportunities and greater wealth creation is likely to be an important market for Chinese products.

Since 1967， Singapore has worked closely with other ASEAN member states to advance ASEAN cooperation. Singapore is equally committed to promoting ASEANs external ties with China， a key dialogue partner of ASEAN. Through broader and deeper cooperation， the result has been peace， economic growth， and prosperity for the peoples of ASEAN and China.

Suwannarat Meesomboonpoonsuk

Considering the present situation and the 2030 Vision for ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership， the Confidence Building Measure remains the best way to maintain regional peace and stability. Although it is time-consuming and is often criticized as being concerned merely with rhetoric， it in fact efficiently helps to prevent the fragmentation of the region. In this regard， setting aside disputes and focusing on economic development among ASEAN and China are priorities.

When focusing on economic development for ASEAN and China， it is impossible to avoid the security issues related the South China Sea. Since regional security is important for regional economic development， issues such as anti-piracy activity should be considered as urgent matters necessitating the cooperation of all members.

In terms of anti-piracy activity， it is important for ASEAN and China to further improve national and regional onshore law enforcement capacities so as to reduce the inland enclaves of pirates.

ASEAN and China should further improve cooperation efficiency， such as building mechanisms for the international exchange of information， facilitating operational cooperation， analyzing patterns and trends in piracy and armed robberies and supporting the capacity-building efforts of contracting parties. These measures will increase the efficacy of the fight against piracy and armed maritime crime in Southeast Asia.

ASEAN is increasingly vulnerable to terrorism and insider threats. Non-traditional or transnational security issues require careful consideration. ASEAN and China should meet regularly to draft regional laws and improve the regional legal system in order to fight terrorism. Representatives of national security forces should meet and exchange techniques and ideas on how best to deal with terrorism.

By the year 2030， when the economies of ASEAN and China are more digital， cyber security will be of greater importance. Both sides need to maintain their focus on cyber security issues.

Nguyen Duy Hung

ASEAN and China need to increase strategic trust. Trust is the origin of all friendly and cooperative relations and an effective way to prevent miscalculations that might cause conflicts between the two sides. Without strategic trust， the gains made on the economic front alone will be transient at best.

ASEAN and China need to cooperate to support micro， small and medium-sized enterprises （MSMEs）， share best practices and improve capacity building in the area of MSMEs development.

ASEAN and China need to strengthen regional connectivity， including defining the common priorities of Chinas Belt and Road Initiative and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025， by synergizing the Greater Mekong Sub-region and the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation， by implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and by supporting the Initiative for ASEAN Integration Work Plan III （2016-2020）.

It is important to note that all declarations and statements issued or signed jointly by ASEAN and China have repeatedly set out the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Certainly， this will continue to be the case.

The ASEAN-China strategic partnership is strong， substantive and multifaceted. The trajectory of ASEAN-China relations continues to be positive. In order to motivate relations to greater heights， both sides need to further improve mutual trust， enhance win-win cooperation and develop their ties on the basis of mutual benefit and equality， and in accordance with current trends and international law.