SINGAPORE — State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Aug 2 called for building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future at the China-ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting.

Over the past 15 years since the establishment of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership, Wang said China-ASEAN relations have developed from growth to maturity, thus entering a new phase of all-round development.

China will continue to regard the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as the priority of its neighborhood diplomacy and be committed to good neighborliness and friendship, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, he said, adding that China supports ASEAN community building as well as ASEAN’s central role.

Wang also noted that China stands ready to share opportunities with ASEAN, jointly meet challenges, and make the bilateral cooperation a pillar of regional peace, stability, development and prosperity.

The development of China-ASEAN relations should be guided by strategic docking so as to seek greater synergy of the complementary strengths, tap cooperation potential and create greater room for cooperation, he said.

The top Chinese diplomat also called on the two sides to step up cooperation in such fields as security, anti-terrorism, disaster prevention and relief, humanitarian assistance, trade and investment, and boost strategic mutual trust.

Foreign ministers of ASEAN countries appreciated China’s support in building ASEAN community as well as the Belt and Road Initiative for boosting regional interconnection and common development, and expressed the hope that both sides will continue to enhance cooperation in trade and economy, innovation and tourism.

The ministers urged China and ASEAN to reach the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in the shortest time to facilitate free trade and regional economic integration, safeguard multilateralism and rules-based multilateral trading regime.