Pursuant to the Joint Declaration of the Heads of State/Government of the Association of South East Asian Nations and the People’s Republic of China on Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity signed at the Seventh ASEAN-China Summit on 8 October 2003 in Bali, Indonesia, this Plan of Action is formulated to serve as the “master plan” to deepen and broaden ASEAN-China relations and cooperation in a comprehensive and mutually beneficial manner for the next five years (2005-2010) with the view to strengthening the strategic partnership for regional peace, development and prosperity and playing a proactive role to tap the opportunities and meet the challenges of the new millennium.

This Plan of Action will also support the implementation of the Declaration of ASEAN Concord II, signed in Bali on 7 October 2003, leading to an ASEAN Community.

In the light of the above, ASEAN and China will pursue the following joint actions and measures:

1.          Political and Security Cooperation

1.1              Regular High-level Contacts, Visits and Interactions

1.1.1           Increase regular high-level bilateral visits and interactions, improve contacts and communications, and promote dialogue on ASEAN-China cooperation and regional and international topics of common interests and concerns, among others, through strengthening existing mechanisms, establishing hotline for communications, using electronic mail for dissemination of information and correspondence, and holding informal meetings to exchange views on various issues.

1.2              Mechanisms for Dialogue and Cooperation

1.2.1           Strengthen the role of the ASEAN-China Senior Officials Consultation (SOC) in assisting the ASEAN-China Summit and the ASEAN-China Ministerial Meeting in providing guidance and strategic direction to further enhance ASEAN-China dialogue relations and cooperation;

1.2.2           Enhance the role of the ASEAN-China Joint Cooperation Committee Meeting (JCC), ASEAN-China Working Group on Development Cooperation, and the Senior Economic Officials-Ministry of Commerce of China (SEOM-MOFCOM) Consultations in monitoring, coordinating, and reviewing ASEAN-China dialogue relations, including development cooperation;

1.2.3           Improve coordination and communication among existing ASEAN-China mechanisms at various levels and sectors, including foreign affairs, economics, transport, customs, youth, and prosecutors-general to ensure timely and effective implementation of decisions and initiatives taken at the ASEAN-China Summit and other related ministerial and senior officials’ meetings;

1.2.4           Explore, if and when necessary and based on mutual consensus, the need for additional mechanisms at appropriate levels in other areas of cooperation such as agriculture, public health, information technology, tourism, environment, quality supervision inspection and quarantine cooperation, public security and law enforcement cooperation; and

1.2.5           Facilitate dialogue, exchanges and cooperation between defence officials of China and ASEAN Member Countries, where appropriate.

1.3              Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia

1.3.1           Continue to promote the role of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia as a code of conduct for inter-state relations in Southeast Asia; and

1.3.2           Cooperate to urge other ASEAN Dialogue Partners to accede to the Treaty so as to enhance regional peace and security, prosperity, and mutual confidence and trust.

1.4              Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone

1.4.1           China supports ASEAN’s efforts towards realising a Southeast Asia Nuclear- Weapon Free Zone (SEANWFZ) and reaffirms its readiness to sign the Protocol to the SEANWFZ Treaty at an early opportunity; and

1.4.2           Cooperate in encouraging all the Nuclear Weapon States to sign the Protocol.

1.5              Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the  South China Sea

1.5.1           Implement in an effective way the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DoC) in the South China Sea to maintain regional stability and promote cooperation in the South China Sea;

1.5.2           Convene regular ASEAN-China Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) on the realisation of the DoC to provide guidance for and review the implementation of the DoC;

1.5.3           Establish a working group to draw up the guidelines for the implementation of the DoC and to provide recommendations to the ASEAN-China SOM on policy and implementation issues;

1.5.4           Promote joint cooperation and dialogue in areas such as marine scientific research, protection of the marine environment, safety of navigation and communication at sea, search and rescue operation, humane treatment of all persons in danger or distress, fight against transnational crimes as well as cooperation among military officials;

1.5.5           Promote trust and confidence building through cooperative activities, in accordance with the principles of the DoC, in particular, those of consultations and consensus among the concerned Parties in the South China Sea, pending the peaceful settlement of the territorial and jurisdictional issues as stated in the DoC;

1.5.6           Affirm the vision of the DoC state parties to work, on the basis of consensus, on the eventual adoption of a code of conduct in the South China Sea; and

1.5.7               Adhere to the terminologies used in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and other instruments of the International Maritime Organisation.

1.6              Cooperation in the Field of Non-traditional Security

1.6.1           Implement measures and activities agreed upon under the Joint Declaration of ASEAN and China Cooperation in the Field of Non-traditional Security Issues signed on 4 November 2002 in Phnom Penh and the ASEAN-China Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Cooperation in the Field of Non-traditional Security Issues signed on 10 January 2004 in Bangkok;

1.6.2           Jointly develop the 2005 Work Plan and subsequent annual work plans to implement the ASEAN-China MoU on Cooperation in the Field of Non-Traditional Security Issues focusing on substantive activities and projects of mutual interests;

1.6.3           Enhance cooperation in the fight against transnational crimes through existing mechanisms such as the ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime and China Consultation, ASEAN-China Cooperative Operations in Response to Dangerous Drugs (ACCORD), ASEAN Plus Three Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime and the ASEAN Plus Three Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime;

1.6.4           Promote contacts and cooperation between law enforcement agencies and prosecution bodies on criminal justice and relevant legal systems;

1.6.5           Increase personnel exchanges, training programmes and seminars to share best practices and experiences on procedures and law enforcement for concluding bilateral and multilateral agreements on counter-terrorism, illicit drug trafficking, trafficking in persons, illegal migration, sea piracy, and international economic crimes, and to enhance competence in criminal technology, forensic sciences, immigration, road transport management, and investigation into cyber crimes;

1.6.6           Explore cooperation, where appropriate and in accordance with their national law, in intelligence-sharing, investigation and evidence-collection, arresting and escorting criminal suspects and retrieving stolen goods or money;

1.6.7           Promote Alternative Development (AD) as an effective means to prevent and eliminate illicit drugs;

1.6.8           Support joint research between experts and scholars in the field of non-traditional security issues; and

1.6.9           Initiate and support development projects that aim at eradicating poverty and socio-economic disparity and injustices as well as promoting the elevation of standard of living, in particular, of underprivileged groups and people in underdeveloped areas; as transnational crime and terrorism cannot be successfully eliminated without identifying, addressing and eradicating the root causes in order to prevent new recruits to criminal syndicates and terrorist entities.

1.7              Military Exchanges and Cooperation

1.7.1           Promote mutual confidence and trust in defence and military fields with a view to maintaining peace and stability in the region;

1.7.2           Conduct dialogues, consultations and seminars on security and defence issues;

1.7.3           Strengthen cooperation on military personnel training;

1.7.4           Consider observing each other’s military exercises and explore the possibility of conducting bilateral or multilateral joint military exercises; and

1.7.5           Explore and enhance cooperation in the field of peacekeeping.

2.         Economic Cooperation

2.1              ASEAN-China Free Trade Area

2.1.1           Expedite the implementation of the ASEAN-China Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation to liberalise and promote trade in goods and services and create a transparent, liberal and facilitative investment regime;

2.1.2           Fulfil obligations and commitments under the Early Harvest Programme and the ASEAN-China Trade in Goods Agreement and expedite negotiations on Trade in Services and Investment;

2.1.3           Enhance trade, investment and economic cooperation as well as upgrade technical cooperation;

2.1.4           Establish channels of communication with all the stake holders, such as government officials, chamber of commerce and industry, research institutions, think-tanks, etc., for the successful implementation of the Framework Agreement on ASEAN-China Comprehensive Economic Cooperation; and

2.1.5          Strengthen the economic and technical cooperation in the areas of agriculture, information and communication technology, human resource development, investment, Mekong River basin development, Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), and other areas of mutual interest so as to reach the goal of common development and prosperity of China and ASEAN.

2.2              Investment Cooperation

2.2.1           Promote mutual investments by increasing exchanges and mutual understanding among investment authorities, including the private sectors in ASEAN Member Countries and China;

2.2.2           Promote networking and cooperation among governments, business associations, academic institutions and corporations, among others, through promotion fairs on investment policies in China and ASEAN Member Countries and by holding regular ASEAN-China Exposition in Nanning, China, and if or when appropriate in ASEAN;

2.2.3           Promote mutual understanding and cooperation among enterprises in ASEAN Member Countries and China, among others, through the chambers of commerce, the ASEAN-China Business and Investment Summit and the ASEAN-China Business Council;

2.2.4           Encourage enterprises in China to make ASEAN a priority investment destination and vice versa, and create a more conducive and attractive climate for the flow of such investments; and

2.2.5           Strengthen the law enforcement and regulations so as to provide favourable conditions for investments.

2.3             Financial Cooperation  

2.3.1              Strengthen economic review and policy dialogue through the ASEAN Plus Three framework, including the development of early warning system and monitoring of short-term capital flows;

2.3.2              Promote closer financial cooperation and greater financial stability in ASEAN Plus Three countries;

2.3.3              Promote dialogues on macro-economic and financial policies in appropriate fora;

2.3.4              Enhance the effectiveness of the Chiang Mai Initiative;

2.3.5              Develop and deepen regional bond markets;

2.3.6              Promote regional financial and monetary integration;

2.3.7              Strengthen human resource development and capacity building in banking and financial sectors, particularly under the ASEAN Plus Three cooperation; and

2.3.8              Enhance cooperation and technical assistance to develop ASEAN-China capital markets.

2.4              Agricultural Cooperation

2.4.1               Continue implementing the MoU between the ASEAN Secretariat and the Ministry of Agriculture of the People’s Republic of China signed on 2 November 2002 in Phnom Penh;

2.4.2               Enhance cooperation on human resources development through training courses, including on agricultural techniques and management;

2.4.3               Establish technology demonstration farms, including the establishment of technology demonstration zones;

2.4.4               Undertake hi-tech exchanges and promote cooperation in various key areas of mutual interest such as hybrid rice and corn, horticultural plants cultivation, bio-technology application, fertiliser, water management, post harvest technology, food security, aquaculture, livestock breeding, organic farming and marsh gas application in the rural areas;

2.4.5               Support economic and trade cooperation through training, seminars, exhibitions, shows and project demonstrations to promote the trade of farm tools, processing machinery and techniques and equipment, agricultural production materials, grains and improved species;

2.4.6           Enhance technical exchanges and cooperation among agricultural experts and agriculture-related enterprises for study, observation, and training in agriculture, fisheries and agriculture-related fields;

2.4.7           Improve agricultural productivity and diversification;

2.4.8           Promote Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) agricultural exchanges and development among GMS member countries, in cooperation with the Asian Development Bank (ADB);

2.4.9           Enhance trade and marketability of food, agriculture and forestry products/ commodities between ASEAN and China;

2.4.10         Enhance cooperation to adopt joint approaches, where appropriate, in international and regional issues pertaining to agriculture;

2.4.11         Promote sustainable management of forest resources through enhancing dialogue and cooperation;

2.4.12         Harmonise related protocols on food safety and organise a network of food laboratories in ASEAN and China; and

2.4.13         Build the capacity of farmers and farming community in ICT in ASEAN and China.

2.5             ICT Cooperation

2.5.1          Expedite the implementation of the MoU between ASEAN and China on Cooperation in Information and Communications Technology signed in October 2003 in Bali, Indonesia;

2.5.2          Promote the establishment and development of ASEAN-China broadband high-speed optical fibre network and information flow and the application of new technology in the region;

2.5.3          Promote HRD cooperation through various training courses, seminars, workshops as well as exchange of visits among ICT experts;

2.5.4          Establish the ASEAN-China ICT cooperation website;

2.5.5          Explore the possibility of convening ASEAN-China ICT Ministers’ Meeting to foster ICT policy dialogues and cooperation;

2.5.6          Convene “ASEAN-China ICT Week” on a regular basis to promote ICT cooperation;

2.5.7           Formulate cooperative and emergency response procedures for purposes of maintaining and enhancing cybersecurity, and preventing and combating cybercrime; and

2.5.8              Strengthen cooperation in research and development and transfer of technology.

2.6              Transport Cooperation

2.6.1           Conclude MoU between ASEAN-China on Transport Cooperation and implement the measures and activities contained in the MoU;

2.6.2           Formalise a consultation mechanism for maritime transport cooperation under the ASEAN-China Transport Ministers’ Meeting in close coordination with other related ASEAN fora and carry out mutually beneficial projects in such areas as maritime safety and security, search and rescue at sea, marine environmental protection against pollution from ships, ship ballast water management, port state control and international shipping;

2.6.3           Work towards developing and signing a ASEAN-China regional maritime transport cooperation framework agreement;

2.6.4           Support the development of the Asian Highway Network by taking measures such as establishing routes databases, harmonising technical standards of infrastructure and facilities and facilitating international land transport;

2.6.5           Complete Kunming-Bangkok highway by the end of 2007; and

2.6.6           Strengthen capacity building in port management, navigation channel technology, transportation infrastructure design and construction and other areas of common interest in the transport sector.

2.7              Tourism Cooperation

2.7.1           Explore the possibility of establishing a high-level cooperation mechanism between relevant tourism authorities;

2.7.2           Promote better understanding of each other’s tourism industry, policies, laws and regulations, among others, through workshops, exhibitions, and shows;

2.7.3           Promote and strengthen tourism information exchange and cooperation on regulating tourism markets among national tourism organisations covering areas such as tourism products, policies, laws and regulations;

2.7.4           Encourage flows of tourists and attract more foreign visitors through joint promotion campaigns;

2.7.5           Promote networking and training programmes among ASEAN and China tourism schools and colleges;

2.7.6           Jointly formulate tourism development plans incorporating joint promotion, marketing, investment and human resource development;

2.7.7           Support the organisation and implementation of ASEAN tourism investment road shows and seminars;

2.7.8           Encourage each other participation in International Tourism Fair in China and the annual ASEAN Tourism Forum;

2.7.9           Enhance cooperation on rectifying tourism business operators and standardising outbound travels and border tours; and

2.7.10         Encourage participation in the capacity-building activities provided by the World Tourism Organisation (WTO).

2.8              Energy Cooperation

2.8.1           Explore the possibility of establishing a high-level cooperation mechanism between relevant energy authorities;

2.8.2           Strengthen policy exchanges and communication with a view to promoting greater openness, transparency, and cooperation in energy security and sustainable energy development activities;

2.8.3           Enhance cooperation in the development and production of renewable energy, energy efficiency and conservation, clean coal technology and energy policy and planning, as well as in the establishment of institutional linkages for developing other programs of cooperation;

2.8.4           Strengthen energy cooperation and encourage greater private-sector participation and investment in joint energy resource exploration and development;

2.8.5           Cooperate in the promotion of energy conservation and the development of clean and efficient energy resources in efforts to diversify sources of primary energy supply while preserving a balance between energy production, consumption and environmental protection;

2.8.6           Establish a sound and commercially viable regional energy transportation network through mutually beneficial activities and investments including the exploration and production of oil and natural gas, development of gas pipeline and transport infrastructure, and other supply facilities; and

2.8.7           Encourage exchange of information on energy pricing and market stabilising initiatives to better manage the risks of international oil market volatility, on voluntary basis.

2.9              Mekong River Basin Development Cooperation

2.9.1           Strengthen cooperation under the framework of the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) and ASEAN-Mekong Basin Development Cooperation (AMBDC); and

2.9.2           Develop the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link.

2.9.1.1        Transportation

2.9.1.1.1     Build railways and roads from Kunming to Yangon and Myitikyina;

2.9.1.1.2     Improve the roads from China’s Yunnan province to Viet Nam and the railway links between China and Viet Nam;

2.9.1.1.3     Carry out possibility study of building railway links from China to Laos  and Myanmar;

2.9.1.1.4     Consider implementing measures to improve navigational safety on the Lancang-Mekong River in a sustainable manner through consultations among the riparian countries, while undertaking to preserve the environment and unique way of life of the people who live along the river;

2.9.1.1.5     Consider the further expansion of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the navigation channel improvement project on the upper Mekong River, and share information with the lower Basin countries;

2.9.1.1.6     Consider the possibility to open more aviation routes in the sub-region at an appropriate time; and

2.9.1.1.7     Carry out preliminary study on the missing rail link between Phnom Penh and Loc Ninh, the missing section in Cambodia which is part of the Singapore-Kunming Rail Link.

2.9.1.2        ICT

2.9.1.2.1     Promote international cooperation in terms of investment and human resources development on ICT; and

2.9.1.2.2     Explore the possibility