At the 28th ASEAN Plus Three Summit in Malaysia, Chinese Premier Li Qiang sent a strong message to the world: China is ready to deepen cooperation, reject protectionism and unleash the full economic potential of East Asia.
Li congratulated Timor-Leste on officially joining the ASEAN family and stressed that the partnership between ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea continues to show strength and resilience despite growing global economic uncertainty.
Li acknowledged that East Asia faces growing instability and trade challenges, but insisted that the region's long history of rapid growth demonstrates its ability to overcome adversity. "The East Asian miracle is not a story of the past," Li said. "It continues."
The Prime Minister called on nations to resolve differences through dialogue, protect peace and promote free trade and multilateral cooperation. He stressed the need to resist all forms of protectionism and to promote regional economic integration.
Li also called for deeper industrial and supply chain cooperation and stressed the importance of connectivity, innovation and joint development. He underscored China's readiness to work with partners in finance, trade, food security, the digital economy, electric vehicles and clean energy - key sectors that will drive the future.
"We need to strengthen innovation from zero to one and increase efficiency from one to N," Li said, urging East Asian countries to use science and technology to kick-start new engines of growth.
With openness as a cornerstone, China is putting itself at the centre of East Asia's next economic leap - a message that resonated in the halls of the summit.
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