Distinguished guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to attend the China-ASEAN Strategic Seminar on Maritime Connectivity. On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, I would like to extend congratulations to the opening of this seminar and our warmest welcome to friends from ASEAN countries.

With over two decades' of development, China-ASEAN relations have made significant headway with fruitful cooperation in a wide range of areas. We've seen our friendship strengthened, mutual-trust enhanced and cooperation broadly expanded. We've turned the China-ASEAN FTA from a vision into a reality, and set up many communication and cooperation platforms including the China-ASEAN Center, the China-ASEAN Expo, etc. Two-way trade has kept a robust growth momentum and reached over US$360 billion last year. China has remained ASEAN's largest trading partner for 3 consecutive years and ASEAN became China's third largest trading partner in 2011. Today, the magnitude and depth of China-ASEAN cooperation was beyond imagination for those at the start of our dialogue relations.
    
China and ASEAN countries are close neighbors linked by land and sea. Connectivity with ASEAN countries is high on the agenda of the Chinese government, as reaffirmed by leaders from China and ASEAN at the 15th China-ASEAN Summit held recently in Phnom Pehn. Connectivity can not only shorten distance between countries, but more importantly bring people closer. The realization of intra-ASEAN and China-ASEAN connectivity will play an important role in narrowing regional development gap and accelerating East Asia integration process. Especially against the backdrop of sluggish global recovery and increasing economic downward pressure in East Asia, promoting regional connectivity is a realistic need and prerequisite for boosting regional demand and sustaining the growth momentum of the region.

In recent years, major progress has been made in China-ASEAN connectivity. The Kunming-Bangkok Expressway is almost completely open for traffic. Railway construction advances steadily. Regular flights between China and ASEAN countries reach up to 800 every week.  This year, China set up the Connectivity Committee to strengthen communication with relevant ASEAN agencies. All these have demonstrated China's political will and commitment to enhance connectivity with ASEAN countries.

As China and ASEAN are strategic partners, connectivity between the two sides shall be all-dimensional, in-depth and strategic in nature. There exist broad space and huge potential for further collaboration in not only the hardware aspect of infrastructure building, but also the software aspects such as custom clearance and financing.

On the hardware aspect, we should make full use of the China-ASEAN Committee on Connectivity Cooperation and formulate a master plan on connectivity to make our cooperation more smooth and efficient. China will continue to support the implementation of the ASEAN Master Plan on Connectivity (AMPC).

On the software aspect, we shall promote institutional connectivity, which includes optimizing and simplifying customs clearance, improving inspection and quarantine procedure of flora and fauna, enhancing trade and investment facilitation and promoting free flow of production factors in the region.

China is both a country on land, and a country at sea. With over 18,000 km-long coastline, China borders with many ASEAN countries on the sea, which offers unique advantages for maritime cooperation between China and ASEAN. In this connection, China proposes to establish a Maritime Cooperative Partnership between China and ASEAN, which includes enhancing connectivity on the sea, establishing cooperation mechanism between port cities, facilitating transport of passengers and cargo, and enhancing marine economic cooperation with the purpose of building a new silk road on the sea. The 3-billion-yuan China-ASEAN Maritime Cooperation Fund set up by China will provide support for maritime cooperation between the two sides.

Connectivity is a long-term and capital-demanding undertaking. We need to open up our mind and look to a wide range of flexible and various financing means to support connectivity projects, including international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank and the private sector, and at the same time, make full use of the China-ASEAN Investment Cooperation Fund and the China-ASEAN Inter-Bank Association.

I am confident that with joint efforts of China and ASEAN countries,  we will be able to see substantive and continuous progress in closer connectivity between the two sides. It will surely bring about tangible benefits to the people, and play a positive role for the betterment of China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership.

Many participants present today are from government agencies, businesses and think tanks. I hope we can all make full use of this opportunity to explore ideas and offer suggestions for future development of China-ASEAN connectivity. I look forward to an exciting discussion.

To conclude, I wish this seminar a great success. May China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership grow from strength to strength!  Thank you.