China, ASEAN countries enjoy broad prospects for cooperation: experts

China and ASEAN countries enjoy broad prospects for cooperation, experts said Friday at a salon in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province.

The event, known as "Tides and Voices" organized by the China Media Group (CMG) Chinese Language Programming Center, gathered experts from both sides to speak on an outdoor stage against the backdrop of the open sea.

Yang Xiao, a research fellow at the Institute of Peaceful Development under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, highlighted the complementary strengths of the two sides and the advantages of institutional arrangements such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

"In the restructuring process of global industrial chains, China and ASEAN have become highly complementary. China leads in high-end manufacturing and advanced production capacity, while ASEAN boasts strong markets and a robust labor force. Additionally, ASEAN is keen to foster new growth areas in sectors such as the green economy, blue economy and environmental protection. This serves as a solid foundation for China-ASEAN cooperation," Yang said.

"Moreover, China and ASEAN enjoy favorable institutional support, including RCEP, which provides tariff exemptions, and the Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol. Therefore, cooperation between China and most ASEAN countries are now embracing promising development opportunities," he added.

Peter T.C. Chang, a research associate at the Malaysia-China Friendship Association, expressed confidence that China and ASEAN will achieve even greater things in this Asian Century.

"We share common Asian values, a lot of values that we hold. We are a pluralistic society and I think ASEAN and China is the building block of this Asian century," said Chang.

China, ASEAN countries enjoy broad prospects for cooperation: experts

Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Friday presided over a State Council executive meeting that approved the State Council's key employment plan during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), along with a draft regulation aimed at boosting veterans' employment and entrepreneurship.

The meeting emphasized that China will pursue an employment-first strategy, expand and improve job quality, and achieve high-quality full employment. Key measures include improving employment services, broadening channels for young graduates, supporting vulnerable groups, promoting flexible and new forms of employment, and safeguarding workers' rights.

The country will also strengthen workforce development by better aligning education with market needs and expanding vocational skills training, according to the meeting.

The meeting underscored the need to seize opportunities from the new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, with a focus on intelligent, green, and integrated development.

China will push forward the upgrading of traditional industries, the expansion of emerging industries, and the forward-looking planning of future industries, according to the meeting.

The meeting also called for encouraging more foreign investment into advanced manufacturing and productive service industries.

Efforts are needed to accelerate breakthroughs in core technologies while fostering more startups and 'unicorn' companies in future industries. To achieve high-quality and full employment, the government will expand vocational training and enhance support for key groups, including veterans, according to the meeting.

Chinese premier chairs State Council executive meeting on employment plan, future industries