[Title] CHAIRMAN'S STATEMENT OF THE 13TH ASEAN PLUS THREE SUMMIT
1. The 13th ASEAN Plus Three Summit, chaired by H.E. Mr. Nguyen Tan Dung, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, was held in Ha Noi on 29 October 2010. The Heads of State/Government of ASEAN Member Countries, the People’s Republic of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea attended the Meeting.
2. We reaffirmed that the ASEAN Plus Three process with ASEAN as the driving force would continue to be a main vehicle to achieve the long-term goal of building an East Asian community and contribute to the sustainable development in the region. We reaffirmed our strong support for ASEAN’s central role in the existing regional mechanisms and in the evolving regional architecture. We recognised the mutually reinforcing and complementary roles of the ASEAN Plus Three process and such regional fora as EAS and ARF to promote East Asian community building.
3. We reviewed with pleasure the progress in ASEAN Plus Three cooperation and the implementation of the 2nd Joint Statement on East Asia Cooperation and the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Work Plan (2007-2017). We were pleased that, given the global economic slowdown, ASEAN Plus Three economic cooperation remained robust with significant trade of US$ 413.8 billion and US$ 8.2 billion in investment in 2009. We stressed the need for further strengthening policy coordination and sustaining economic growth in the region.
4. We encouraged efforts toward trade and investment liberalisation and facilitation among ASEAN Plus Three Countries. We welcomed the progress made by the four ASEAN Plus Working Groups that were tasked to look into the recommendations of the studies on the East Asia Free Trade Area (EAFTA) and the Comprehensive Economic Partnership in East Asia (CEPEA) in parallel. We tasked relevant officials to recommend specific targets and timelines within which to complete consolidation work, relevant to their respective Terms of Reference. In this connection, we welcomed China’s concept paper on the Roadmap on Trade Facilitation among ASEAN Plus Three and noted the decision by ASEAN’s Economic Ministers to refer this proposal, together with Japan’s concept paper on the Initial Steps towards Regional Economic Integration in East Asia: A Gradual Approach, to the ASEAN Plus Working Groups for their consideration. We also welcomed China’s continued commitment to be the lead shepherd on trade and economic cooperation and US$ 1 million special donation from China to the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Fund focusing on EAFTA related activities.
5. We underlined that strengthening financial cooperation is important for financial stability and sustainable economic development in the region and noted with satisfaction recent developments in the ASEAN Plus Three financial cooperation. We welcomed the realisation of the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralisation (CMIM) on 24 March 2010 and the operationalisation of the ASEAN Plus Three Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO) in early 2011. We also welcomed the establishment of ASEAN Plus Three Bond Market Forum (ABMF) and the Credit Guarantee and Investment Facility (CGIF) and expected the CGIF’s operationalisation before the end of 2010.
6. We were committed to enhancing transport connectivity within ASEAN as well as between ASEAN and the Plus Three Countries. In this regard, we looked forward to the realisation of the ASEAN Multilateral Agreement on Full Liberalisation of Passenger Air Services (MAFLPAS) and the ASEAN Strategic Transport Plan (ASTP) 2011-2015, which enhance intra-ASEAN transport connectivity as well as intensify and accelerate works on transport facilitation, and transport connectivity with ASEAN Dialogue Partners, especially the Plus Three Countries.
7. We welcomed the adoption of the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity and looked forward to contributing to the implementation of the Master Plan. In this connection, we encouraged the Transport Ministers to explore a possibility of establishing an ASEAN Plus Three Ministers Meeting on Transport to enhance ASEAN Plus Three connectivity as stated in the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Work Plan.
8. We reaffirmed the importance of promoting regional economic competitiveness and equitable economic development. In this regard, we welcomed the launching of the "ASEAN Regional Guidelines on Competition Policy", the "Handbook on Competition Policy and Law in ASEAN for Business", and the development of the Strategic Plan of Action for ASEAN Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Development 2010-2015 to replace the ASEAN Policy Blueprint for SME Development 2004-2014.
9. We reaffirmed the importance of ensuring food security in the region and noted with pleasure the implementation of the Cha-am Hua Hin Statement on ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation on Food Security and Bio-energy Development, such as efforts towards the realisation of the ASEAN Plus Three Comprehensive Strategy on Food Security and Bio-energy Development and the ASEAN Food Security Information System (AFSIS) as well as the early conclusion and signing of the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Agreement, which will help establish a permanent mechanism to ensure food security in the region.
10. We welcomed the successful convening of the 7th ASEAN Plus Three Energy Ministers Meeting on 22 July 2010 in Viet Nam and tasked relevant Ministers to strengthen energy cooperation. In this connection, we supported the on- going efforts to develop the “3rd ASEAN Energy Demand Outlook” and welcomed initiatives in ASEAN Plus Three energy fora, such as the Energy Security and Oil Stockpiling, Natural Gas and Oil Market, New and Renewable Energy, and Energy Efficiency and Conservation, including the ASEAN Plus Three Oil Stockpiling Roadmap and ASEAN Plus Three Joint Workshop on Effective Energy Efficiency and Conservation Policy Guidelines in June 2010. We also welcomed the intention to develop a comprehensive strategy on sustainable and integrated food and bio-fuels production and consumption as well as programmes to promote the effective use of civilian nuclear energy, coal, oil, natural gas and the development of renewable energy in the region.
11. We noted with appreciation the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on Sustained Recovery and Development issued at the 16th ASEAN Summit in Hanoi on 9 April 2010, the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity adopted at the 17th Summit, and ASEAN’s effort to explore effective financing instruments and policies which would contribute to developing East Asia into a region of enhanced connectivity and dynamic growth.
12. We supported the ASEAN Leaders’ Joint Statement on Human Resources and
Skills Development for Economic Recovery and Sustainable Growth adopted at the 17th ASEAN Summit and ASEAN’s measures to improve the quality and capacity of human resources in the region. In this regard, we took note of the Luang Prabang Joint Declaration on ASEAN Plus Three Civil Service Cooperation adopted by the Heads of the ASEAN Conference on Civil Service Matters (ACCSM) Plus Three on 29 October 2010 and looked forward to intensifying cooperation among ASEAN Plus Three countries in the area of human resources.
13. We welcomed the establishment of the ASEAN Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the rights of Women and Children (ACWC) on 7 April 2010 and expressed our support to Ha Noi Declaration on the Enhancement of Welfare and Development of ASEAN Women and Children adopted at the 17th Summit in Hanoi.
14. We reaffirmed the importance of resolving the climate change issues and committed to working closely together towards a positive outcome at COP- 16/CMP-6 to be held in Cancun, Mexico in December 2010. In this regard, we noted with appreciation the ASEAN Leaders’ Statement on Joint Response to Climate Change on 9 April 2010 and Viet Nam’s initiative to convene an East Asia Forum on Climate Change. We welcomed China for hosting the Tianjing climate negotiation meeting which contributed to the outcome of the Cancun conference. We also welcomed all efforts to address climate change as well as biodiversity issues discussed at the Ministerial Meeting of the REDD+ Partnership in Nagoya, Aichi on 26 October 2010 and the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya on 18-29 October 2010. We encouraged enhanced regional and sub-regional cooperation including in the Greater Mekong Sub-region and the Mekong River Commission (MRC).
15. We reaffirmed the need to strengthen cooperation to prevent disease outbreaks and were satisfied with the successful completion of the ASEAN Plus Three Emerging Infectious Diseases (EID) Programme Phase II. We looked forward to the early start of the next phase of cooperation with active participation of ASEAN Plus Three countries. We supported ASEAN’s efforts to develop an ASEAN Roadmap on Control of Avian Influenza to ensure the attainment of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)-free ASEAN by 2020.
16. We welcomed all efforts to promote ASEAN Plus Three cooperation on disaster management, including the ASEAN Plus Three International Conference on Disaster Management in Tokyo in August 2010, the proposal to
utilise information and communication technology in disaster management. In this regard, we welcomed Japan’s continued commitment to lead cooperation in this field.
17. We noted with pleasure that two new areas, namely, information and education had been added to ASEAN Plus Three cooperation. We welcomed the Inaugural Meeting of the ASEAN Plus Three Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI+3) on 6 November 2009 in Vientiane to explore effective ways and mechanisms of ASEAN Plus Three cooperation in information. We appreciated Thailand’s efforts to initiate the ASEAN Plus Three cooperation on education and looked forward to the adoption of an ASEAN Plus Three Plan of Action on Education at the 1st ASEAN Plus Three Senior Officials’ Meeting on Education on 25 November 2010 in Bangkok. We welcomed the proposal to convene an ASEAN Plus Three Education Ministers’ Meeting in due course.
18. We welcomed the contribution of US$ 3 million by the ASEAN Plus Three countries in the ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation Fund (APTCF) and looked forward to the increasing number of projects to be proposed by the ASEAN Plus Three countries for funding by the APTCF.
19. We were pleased at the achievements recorded in ASEAN Plus Three cooperation in other areas, including tourism, science and technology, culture and people-to-people contact. We noted new proposals for cooperation in the ASEAN Plus Three framework which, among others, includes cooperation in food safety and standards, deforestation prevention and reforestation.
20. We had broad exchange of views on regional and international issues of common concern. Noting that despite slow and fragile global recovery from the worst international financial crisis, the East Asian economies were among the first to rebound soundly and became one of the key drivers of the global economic recovery. We reiterated our commitment to enhancing macroeconomic coordination, promote growth and jobs, resist protectionism, reach an ambitious and balanced conclusion of Doha Development Agenda (DDA) and reform of the international financial system and institutions. We shared a common concern over the short-term capital inflow into the region and its pressure on local currencies. We tasked our Finance Ministers to consider possible measures to deal with this problem.
21. We expressed our support for the framework for strong, sustainable and balanced growth of the world’s economy as pursued by the G-20 process. In this regard, we expressed our appreciation to the Republic of Korea for her able chairmanship in preparing for the G-20 Summit in Seoul this November. We also reiterated our support for the ASEAN Chairs at G-20 Summits on regular basis. We looked forward to the successful outcome of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Yokohama on 13-14 November 2010.
22. We stressed the importance of maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region. We reaffirmed our support for the complete and verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. We encouraged all concerned parties to fully implement the Joint Statement of 19 September 2005 and create a conducive environment for the resumption of the Six-Party Talks with a view to achieving long-lasting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. We underscored the importance of relevant resolutions of the United Nations Security Council and their implementation, and of addressing the issue of humanitarian concerns of the international community.
23. We appreciated the proposal by the President of the Republic of Korea to establish an East Asia Vision Group II (EAVG II) to do stock-taking and recommend future direction for ASEAN Plus Three cooperation, and tasked our relevant officials to implement this initiative.
24. We also noted the Memorandum No.7 on Policy Recommendations on Strengthening the Pillars of East Asian Community Building, prepared by the Network of East Asian Think Tanks (NEAT) in Manila on 23-24 August 2010. We appreciated the contribution of NEAT and encouraged relevant ASEAN Plus Three sectoral bodies to look into NEAT’s policy recommendations.