Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (6th L) attends the 20th ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, Aug. 2, 2019. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak)

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) constitutes the center of East Asia and it is also the major platform for cooperation in East Asia.

BANGKOK, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday called for more cooperation among ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members, China, Japan and South Korea (ASEAN Plus Three).

Established more than 20 years ago, the ASEAN Plus Three (APT) has kept growing stronger, forged industry chains, value chains and culture circles with the features of East Asia, setting up a win-win example of cooperation among the countries with different social systems, different development levels and different cultures, thus making East Asia one of the world's most vibrant and promising regions, the Chinese state councilor said at the foreign ministers' meeting of the 10 ASEAN members, China, Japan and South Korea.

APT constitutes the center of East Asia and it is also the major platform for cooperation in East Asia, Wang said.

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attends the 20th ASEAN (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Plus Three Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, Aug. 2, 2019. (Xinhua/Rachen Sageamsak)

APT should firmly safeguard multilateralism and free trade to become a banner for regional economic integration, deepen the people-to-people exchange and cooperation to become the platform for promoting the coexistence of culture and harmony and jointly brave risks and challenges to become the backbone for peace and stability, he said.

To achieve greater development of APT cooperation, Wang said more efforts should be made in the following sectors: to build an open and integrated East Asia, to build a financially stable East Asia, to build an interconnected East Asia, to build a smart and innovative East Asia, to build a sustainable East Asia and to build a East Asia with mutual learning between different civilizations.

Echoing the Chinese state councilor, the foreign ministers from Japan, South Korea and ASEAN members spoke highly of the positive achievements from APT cooperation and agreed to support multilateralism and free trade, adhere to openness and inclusiveness, work for the conclusion of negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) within this year, advance the integration process of regional economy, boost connectivity and communication, promote the people-to-people exchange, jointly safeguard regional financial stability and improve governance of regional economy.