Ⅰ. Opening Remark

　　A special summit of the ASEAN Plus Three on COVID-19 was held via video link on April 14, 2020. The video conference was convened by Vietnam, the current chair of ASEAN, with the attendance of the leaders of ASEAN+3, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Secretary General of ASEAN Lim Jock Hoi. Premier Li Keqiang attended the conference and made an important speech in Beijing.

　　Premier Li Keqiang said, the current epidemic is spreading worldwide. Viruses are a common enemy of mankind, and no country can be alone. At the recent Extraordinary G20 Leaders' Summit, President Xi Jinping highlighted the imperative for the international community to strengthen confidence, act in unity and make a collective response.The APT countries should be aware that we are in a community with a shared future. We must act with a greater sense of common purpose and stronger resolve. We must make more determined efforts and work together in closer coordination and cooperation. We need to send a message of partnership, solidarity and mutual assistance among East Asian countries to boost confidence in our region and beyond. We must secure an early victory against COVID-19 in East Asia.

　　Premier Li Keqiang put forward China's proposals on APT cooperation in fighting the outbreak.

　　First, APT countries need to enhance all-round cooperation against the epidemic and build up public health capacity.We should strengthen coordination and collaboration to create greater synergy of our responses which is essential for curtailing the spread of infection.China will provide support and assistance to ASEAN countries to the best of our capability as grant assistance and via commercial channels. We should also support WHO in leading a global response to the outbreak.

　　Second, we need to revitalize economic growth and deepen regional economic integration. On this basis, we should further ease tariffs, eliminate barriers, boost the flow of trade and investment, and keep markets open to each other. We should consider opening a "fast-track lane" for essential personnel on urgent visits. We need to conduct joint research on enhancing the industrial and supply chains among APT countries. We also need to work toward signing the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement within the agreed time-frame.

　　Third, we need to intensify policy coordination to weather all kinds of risks and challenges. We should remain confident about our ability to overcome the financial risks and challenges brought by COVID-19, and serve as an anchor of stability for the region.We should intensify collaboration to ensure regional grain supply and market security.

　　All parties at the conference exchanged in-depth views on the cooperation of East Asian countries to fight against the epidemic and maintain regional economic development. The meeting reached an important consensus and adopted a joint statement, which released ASEAN, China, Japan and ROK's strong confidence to prevent and control the epidemic and stabilize the regional economy and a positive signal for the APT countries to further deepen and expand their cooperation in the joint epidemic.

　　Next, I will share my understanding about the conference with the media friends.

　　First, the meeting demonstrated the tradition of mutual assistance in times of difficulties among East Asian countries, highlighting the role of ATP as the main channel for East Asian cooperation. This was evidenced by our experiences in multiple crises and an embodiment of our Asian spirit. In fact, the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) cooperation mechanism was set up in response to the Asian financial crisis in late 1990s and then emerged even stronger from the international financial crisis in 2008. Through mutual help under this mechanism, we APT countries also stood strong against SARS, the highly pathogenic avian influenza and the Indian Ocean tsunami. Our tremendous courage and close collaboration have safeguarded the development and stability of our region.

　　After the outbreak of COVID-19, the mutual assistance and support of the East Asian governments, the people, and the media are in stark contrast to the “national priority” approach adopted by some country, setting a model for global cooperation in the fight against epidemic.

　　The APT mechanism responded quickly and took the lead in holding a special video conference for senior health development officials and a conference of health ministers to share information and actively explore strengthening regional public health cooperation. As an important member of the APT cooperation, China has lived up to its duties as a responsible country, and proposed to hold the ASEAN-China Special Foreign Ministers’ Meeting on COVID-19 on February 20 and the China-Japan-ROK Foreign Ministers' Special Video Conference on COVID-19 on March 20, where leaders reached important consensus on strengthening regional cooperation.

　　At this meeting, Premier Li expressed sincere gratitude to the fellow ATP countries that provided valuable assistance to China in the early difficult stage of China’s anti-epidemic efforts. Leaders of the Lao PDR, Cambodia, Malaysia thanked China for their support and assistance in the fight against the epidemic. The Prime Minister of Malaysia said affectionately that "China has stood with us from the beginning". China further announced that it will continue to provide urgently needed medical supplies to ASEAN countries through free assistance and commercial channels. "A friend in need is a friend indeed", the APT countries' mutual help in the difficult situation has brought each other closer, and will help boost the East Asian cooperation. We are confident that the APT mechanism will surely act as the main platform for region cooperation against the pandemic.

　　Second, the meeting provided a strong political momentum and guide for APT countries to strengthen solidarity and overcome difficulties. The summit is the first leaders’ meeting that covers the East Asia region in response to COVID-19, as well as the first special meeting among APT leaders since the mechanism was born, and to make it even more special, it is conducted through the whole new format as a videoconference. This, undoubtedly marks a milestone in the history of APT cooperation. It demonstrates the shared will of regional countries to overcome difficulties, protect people’s lives and strive for the early victory through cooperation. It also shows the great resolve of regional countries to jointly protect public health security of the region and beyond. At this meeting, leaders of APT countries exchanged in-depth views on the issues of the impacts of the pandemic on our region, on how to promote regional efforts on prevention and control, on how to upgrade the public health cooperation in East Asia, on how strengthen macro-policy coordination, and enhance stability of the regional industrial and supply chain. The meeting has sent a positive signal to the international community on regional solidarity at the difficult times. It embodies the good wishes of all countries to overcome the pandemic as soon as possible and improve the health and well-being of the people of all countries.

　　China's pandemic prevention and control has achieved remarkable results, which have been highly praised by the international community. Premier Li Keqiang shared the "China Solution" and "Chinese Experience" for the overall pandemic prevention and control and economic and social development, and put forward the following important initiatives on East Asia's anti-pandemic cooperation : First, strengthening coordination and collaboration among the health, customs, transportation and immigration authorities of APT countries and explore a liaison mechanism for smooth and regular communication, thus creating greater synergy of our responses which is essential for curtailing the spread of infection. Second, sharing diagnostic and treatment experience, research data and information, and conducting joint research and development of drugs and vaccines. And coordinating the production, demand and supply of medical supplies, and facilitating each other's purchase of these supplies on a commercial basis. Third, in view of both current and longer-term needs, exploring establishment of an APT reserve on essential medical supplies to make our response faster and emergency supplies more readily available. The above-mentioned initiatives provide a clear path for East Asian countries to enhance all-round cooperation against the pandemic, which will greatly boost the practical cooperation among APT countries especially in the public health area. Emergency response to major disasters in regional countries will also be significantly enhanced, thus further cementing the foundation of an East Asian community.

　　Third, the meeting provided a strong momentum of APT countries to strengthen coordination and revitalize regional economy. The pandemic is exerting a comprehensive impact on global production, including in the East Asia market. The world economy is facing huge downward pressure. The "black swan" and "gray rhino" events that may be triggered by the pandemic contain unpredictable risks and challenges. As close neighbors, we, the APT countries have personnel exchanges and highly connected economies, and have developed close a full-fledged industrial chain and a mutually complementary specialization structure. It is our top priorities to jointly deal with the impact of the pandemic, and stabilize the regional economy, preventing derivative risks.

　　China supports APT in strengthening coordination and playing an active role to stabilize the regional economy. At this meeting, with focus on the regional economic cooperation after the pandemic, China proposed and advocated the following: First, for stable industrial and supply chains in the region, making a "fast-track lane" available to essential personnel on urgent visits to maintain necessary flows of people and goods. We need to work toward signing the RCEP agreement this year as planned, pushing regional economic integration to higher levels; Second, intensifying financial policy coordination to weather all kinds of risks and challenges. We need to expand the use of local currencies in regional trade and investment and improve the currency-swap network. Mechanisms such as the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM) and the APT Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) need to be fully leveraged to enhance crisis preparedness. The attending leaders have warmly welcomed these initiatives proposed by Premier Li. All parties agreed to join hands and work towards reducing the impact on our economy and society, strengthen macro-policy coordination, ensure the stability of industrial and supply chains in our region,and resist potential financial risks. The consensus reached at the meeting makes clear about both the goal and route to revitalize regional economy after the pandemic, which will greatly boost market confidence and provide strong momentum to economic growth in our region, and contribute to the development of East Asia.

　　East Asian cooperation will only emerge even stronger out of the pandemic. I have full confidence in the joint e