Beijing, 18 May 2022 (TDI): The Director-General of the Foreign Ministry’s Department of Asian Affairs of China, Liu Jinsong, presented the opening remarks via video link at the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Inter-Sessional Support Group Meeting.
The meeting took place on May 17. The agenda of the meeting was “Confidence Building Measures and Preventive Diplomacy.”
Liu Jinsong stated during the meeting, “My first position in charge after joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was with the ARF” and the regional security environment has evolved dramatically over the last 28 years.
He went on to say that, while ARF’s original goal, core duties, and priorities have not changed, confidence-building measures remain critical.
ARF has slowly grown into a significant ASEAN-led venue for regional security conversation and cooperation, with a diverse range of themes. China has long valued the ARF’s role and had participated actively in practical collaboration in a variety of domains.
Besides, China has hosted about 50 cooperation projects in recent years and recommended the formation of security policy forums along with other structures to help the ARF evolve in a more broad and realistic direction with practical activities.
ARF facing Difficult Tasks
Global economic recovery continues to be sluggish, and geopolitics and security disputes are becoming more prominent. Further difficulties and challenges confronting global security and development are dramatically increasing, according to Liu Jinsong.
The ARF faces a difficult task in determining how to effectively address these issues, that affect all countries, globally. China has responded to questions about what security concept the world requires and how countries might achieve common security initiatives.
Liu Jinsong enunciated that it is a new incarnation of the Bandung Spirit and the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. Moreover, it closely aligns with the ASEAN Charter, the ARF Vision Statement, and the Hanoi Plan of Action II.
China and Cambodia co-chaired the meeting, which was attended by delegates from ARF nations. All parties were updated on this year’s progress in practical collaboration in several domains, and new projects for the years 2022-2023 were addressed.
