Jakarta (VNA) – The Chairman’s statement of the 24th ASEAN PlusThree (APT) Summit, held virtually on October 27, underscored the importance ofthe APT in East Asia cooperation towards the long-term goal of building an EastAsia community, with ASEAN as the driving force.

Thesummit gathered ASEAN member states and the partner countries of China, Japan,and the Republic of Korea.

Thestatement acknowledged the significance of the APT in maintaining and enhancingpeace, security, stability and development in East Asia. It reaffirmed thecommitment to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in combatting transnationalcrimes and addressing non-traditional security issues.

ASEANreiterated the value of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) as a guidefor ASEAN’s engagement in the wider Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions, andencouraged the enhancement and promotion of APT cooperation in ASEAN priorityareas identified in the AOIP, namely maritime cooperation, connectivity,sustainable development, economic and other areas of cooperation to furtherpromote mutual trust, mutual respect, and confidence as well as to contributeto peace and prosperity in the region.

Thesummit reaffirmed the crucial role of APT cooperation in combating the COVID-19pandemic in the region and mitigating its socio-economic impacts, acknowledgedthe support and contribution of the Plus Three countries to ASEAN member statesand ASEAN’s initiatives in addressing COVID-19, and emphasised the need tostrengthen APT collaboration in advancing the region’s recovery from theadverse socio-economic effects of the pandemic.

Thesummit also underlined the importance of trade and investment ties betweenASEAN and the Plus Three countries. In 2020, total trade between ASEAN and thePlus Three countries reached 875.1 billion USD, representing 32.9 percent ofASEAN’s total trade. Meanwhile, total foreign direct investment (FDI) flows fromthe Plus Three Countries into ASEAN were valued at 22 billion USD in 2020,accounting for 16.7 percent of total FDI inflows into the bloc.

Inthe statement, the leaders welcomed the signing of the Regional ComprehensiveEconomic Partnership (RCEP) in November 2020. They noted the region’s increasedreliance on the digital economy during the pandemic and stressed the need forthe region to identify challenges and opportunities as the region’s economiesprepare themselves for the advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR),and to harness the latter as a tool to foster APT’s economic recovery,

They reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the priority areas of APThealth cooperation while stressing the importance of cultural exchanges andpeople-to-people links to heighten awareness and foster interculturalunderstanding and ASEAN identity in the region.

Participantsalso reiterated the commitment to advance cooperation in promoting sustainable,inclusive and innovative development. They showed support for ASEAN’s effortsto narrow the development gap and promote sustainable and equitable developmentacross the ASEAN Community./.