Beijing (VNA) – Chinese State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi has affirmed China'sconsistent stance of attaching importance to ASEAN's central role and thecountry’s support for the bloc's efforts in building its Community.

China supports ASEAN to maintain its positive role in promoting cooperation in regionalconnectivity and innovation, Wang said at a meeting with ambassadors of ASEANmember nations to China in Beijing on October 23.

Wang expressed his respect for annual meetings with ambassadors of ASEANcountries in Beijing to enhance trust and practical exchange, thus furtherpromoting the ASEAN-China strategic partnership.

He suggested the two sides work closely to lift the strategic partnership to anew height, towards building a vision for their relations in the next 15 years.

ASEAN and China are celebrating the 15th anniversary of their strategicpartnership in 2018.

At the event, Vietnamese Ambassadorto China Dang Minh Khoi highly valued the development of ASEAN-China strategicpartnership in terms of politics-security, economy, culture-society andpeople-to-people exchange.

He affirmed that Vietnam will work closely with Singapore – the current ASEANChair, other ASEAN member nations and partners to well prepare for the 33rdASEAN Summit and relevant meetings later this year.

Regarding the East Sea issue, Ambassador Khoi stressed the need to maintain andpromote peace, stability, security and freedom of navigation and aviation inthe East Sea, and the settlement of disputes by peaceful measures in line with internationallaw, including the United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS); and promote negotiations between ASEAN andChina to soon adopt a Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea. -VNA