Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s tour set to deepen East Asian ties
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Chinese Premier Li Qiang kicks off a four-day South-east Asian tour from Oct 25.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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BEIJING – Chinese Premier Li Qiang will kick off a four-day South-east Asian tour from Oct 25 that is expected to map out the blueprint for regional cooperation and uphold genuine multilateralism.
According to the Foreign Ministry, Mr Li will pay an official visit to Singapore and attend a series of leaders’ meetings on East Asian cooperation in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia.
The meetings are the 28th China-Asean Summit, the 28th Asean Plus Three Summit, the 20th East Asia Summit and the fifth Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Leaders’ Meeting.
In the face of complex changes in the international and regional landscape, sluggish global economic growth and rising unilateralism and protectionism, East Asian cooperation faces new challenges, Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular news briefing on Oct 24.
Against this backdrop, regional countries have a stronger desire for stability, cooperation and development, which highlights the importance of East Asian cooperation, he added.
East Asia is one of the most dynamic and promising regions in the world, and the East Asian cooperation mechanisms, led by Asean, have played an important role in promoting dialogue and cooperation among various parties and maintaining regional stability, he said.
Mr Guo noted that China has always prioritised Asean in its neighbourhood diplomacy and supports the themes of inclusiveness and sustainability set by Malaysia, the rotating Asean chair.
China looks forward to working with regional countries to advance the building of the China-Asean Free Trade Area 3.0 (Cafta 3.0), ensure high-quality implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, and inject more stability and certainty into the region and the world, Mr Guo said.
The negotiations of the Cafta 3.0, which began in November 2022, concluded substantially in October 2024 after nine rounds of formal talks.
In May, economic and trade ministers from China and the 10 Asean member states announced the full completion of the negotiations, aiming to formally sign the Cafta 3.0 upgrade protocol by the end of 2025.
Recent data shows that in the first three quarters of 2025, imports and exports between China and Asean totalled 5.57 trillion yuan (S$1 trillion), up by 9.6 per cent year on year. Asean remained China’s largest trading partner.
In addition, China has rolled out the “Asean visa”, fully exempted visas mutually with Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, and granted each other visa-free entry with Brunei.
Speaking of China-Singapore relations, Mr Guo said China looks forward to using Mr Li’s visit as an opportunity to further align development strategies with Singapore and deepen cooperation in various fields.
Singapore is China’s fifth-largest trading partner among Asean countries, while China has remained Singapore’s largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years since 2013.
In 2024, bilateral trade volume reached US$111 billion (S$144 billion), marking a year-on-year increase of 2.6 per cent, according to the Foreign Ministry. CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
