President Rodrigo Roa Duterte gave his remarks during the ASEAN-China Summit where he, as the country coordinator for the ASEAN China Dialogue Relations, delivered the ASEAN Common Statement.

These are the salient points:

• The President expressed ASEAN’s appreciation to China for its pledge to contribute to the COVID-19 ASEAN Response Fund, another cooperation, initiatives for Public Health Emergencies and its support to ASEAN’s Regional Reserve of Medical Supplies and provisions for assistance to ASEAN member-states. PRRD added that ASEAN looks forward to China for support and for a Comprehensive Recovery Framework and its implementation plan to allow for ASEAN’s robust recovery, resiliency and sustainability.

• On COVID-19, the President said ASEAN encourages close cooperation, collaboration with China in the development and equitable distribution of safe, effective, affordable vaccines, diagnostics and medicines and welcome China’s pledge to make the COVID-19 vaccine a global public good which China has promised ASEAN to be the first, will be among the first to benefit.

• The Chief Executive reaffirmed ASEAN’s commitment to the full and effective implementation of the 2002 Declaration of the Conduct of Parties in South China Sea in its entirety and to work towards conclusion and adoption and effective substantive Code of Conduct in the South China Sea consistent with international law including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

• President Duterte, in the same occasion, likewise mentioned that ASEAN welcomes the designation of 2021 as the ASEAN-China Year of Sustainable Development Cooperation, where ASEAN encourages cooperation with China in areas such as poverty eradication, food security, environment protection and climate change.