On 21 January 2020, the inaugural meeting of the Joint Steering Committee between China and Brunei Darussalam was co-chaired in Beijing by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Minister of Foreign Affairs II Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof of Brunei Darussalam.
Wang Yi said, China and Brunei Darussalam are close neighbors facing each other across the sea, partners of mutual trust and a model of equality between big and small countries. The historic exchange of visits by President Xi Jinping and His Majesty Sultan has elevated the China-Brunei relations to a strategic cooperative partnership. The smooth progress of the joint construction of the Belt and Road has brought tangible benefits to the peoples of the two countries, and provided positive energy for the stable development of the region.
Wang Yi said the establishment of the Joint Steering Committee is an important consensus reached by the two heads of state, which meets the needs of upgrading bilateral relations, is conducive to promoting cooperation in various fields as a whole, and helps to form a new pattern of China-Brunei relations featuring political mutual trust, economic mutual benefit, people-to-people exchanges and multilateral mutual assistance. The two sides further agreed to set up a number of working groups to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation in ten areas including economy, commerce, maritime affairs and energy under the framework of the committee, which is of great significance to the in-depth development of bilateral relations.
Wang Yi reiterated that China will continue to firmly pursue the good neighborly and friendly policy toward ASEAN. China and ASEAN countries have established profound friendship and strong mutual trust, which will not be affected by one incident or damaged by intentional interference from the outside. Wang Yi emphasized that China's policy on the South China Sea issue is consistent. China will continue to settle disputes through friendly consultations between the parties, jointly maintain peace and stability in the South China Sea with ASEAN countries, and uphold the basic principles of international law and international relations including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. To this end, we are willing to work with ASEAN countries to continue to fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and accelerate the negotiation process of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), so as to formulate regional rules that all parties can abide by, further stabilize the situation in the South China Sea, more effectively control the existing differences and strive to achieve long-term stability and peace in the South China Sea.
Dato Erywan Pehin Yusof said that China is good partner and friend of Brunei Darussalam. The friendship between the two countries has spanned thousands of years, and has become a model of mutual respect and mutual benefit. Brunei Darussalam attaches great importance to developing relations with China, and is ready to implement the consensus of the two heads of state, speed up the joint building of the Belt and Road, expand mutually beneficial cooperation and exchanges in various fields and promote greater development of the Brunei-China strategic cooperative partnership. The Brunei side reiterated its one China policy, and is willing to work with China to actively promote consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the South China sea.
The two sides also exchanged in-depth views on East Asia regional cooperation, China-Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malasia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) and other issues. Minister at the Prime Minister's Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II Dato Amin Liew Abdullah of Brunei Darussalam attended the meeting.
