Chronology of Events: October 2018 to December 2018

As a research institute based in Singapore, the EAI monitors developments in relations and interactions between China and the individual countries of Southeast Asia as well as the ASEAN grouping as a whole. This material is presented in the form of (i) a chronology of events and (ii) important documents.

—the Editors

CHINA–ASEAN RELATIONS

OCTOBER 2018 TO DECEMBER 2018:

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS

Compiled by CHEN Juan

OCTOBER 2018
12th	The 18th Meeting of the ASEAN Plus Three Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry is held in Hanoi, Vietnam. The meeting reaffirms support for the ASEAN Plus Three Emergency Rice Reserve (APTERR) Agreement through the signing of a protocol to amend "Attachment 2" of the agreement. The amendment extends financial contribution to the operational cost account of the APTERR Fund by five years (2018 to 2022).
	The Sixth ASEAN–China Ministerial Meeting on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Cooperation, also held in Hanoi, adopts the Plan of Action for 2019–2020 that covers food safety, plant and animal inspection and quarantine. This plan also maintains the previous scopes of cooperation on the establishment of a communication system, personnel exchanges, organising trainings and seminars, collaborative research and the setting up of consultation mechanism.
13th	The Sixth Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Intersessional Ministerial Meeting is held in Singapore. The ministers from the 16 RCEP participating countries highlight the need to further narrow the gaps in market access and note the progress made in the negotiations of other chapters on rules. All RCEP participating countries are also urged to fulfil the targets set out in the Package of Year-End Deliverables, which the ministers have reiterated to be important particularly at the time of uncertainties in global trade.
18th	At the Third Meeting of the China–Philippines Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea held in Beijing, China, both sides exchange views on issues of concern and mutually beneficial approaches to address the issues. There are also discussions about the methods to enhance maritime cooperation, and possible cooperation in joint exploration and development of maritime oil and gas.
18th–19th	Leaders of 51 European and Asian countries, European Union representatives and the ASEAN Secretariat convene at the 12th Asia–Europe Meeting (ASEM), held in Brussels, Belgium under the theme "Global Partners for Global Challenges". They agree to renew support for the rules-based international order during their discussions that focus on sustainable and rules-based connectivity. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech at the meeting, urging participating countries to strengthen "soft connectivity" in areas such as institutions, policies, rules and standards in order to invigorate factors of production.
	On the sidelines of the ASEM, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang meets with Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, who welcomes Chinese enterprises to build industrial parks in Vietnam. The latter also affirms willingness to jointly work with China to maintain maritime peace and stability.
	Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen also meets with Chinese Premier Li on the sidelines of the ASEM. Li says that China will continue to import Cambodia's competitive agricultural products, and calls upon the two countries to enhance synergy of their development strategies and expand bilateral trade. Li also expresses China's support for Cambodia to host the next ASEM summit. Hun Sen hopes to expand practical cooperation with China in trade and agriculture, and welcomes investments from Chinese companies. Hun Sen adds that Li's visit to Cambodia and co-chairing of the Lancang–Mekong Cooperation (LMC) leaders' meeting in 2018 had injected new impetus into Cambodia–China relations and the LMC.
20th	The Fifth ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) on Preventing and Countering the Threat of Terrorism, held in Singapore, discusses specific initiatives to deal with terrorism and prevent mishaps in the air for military aircraft. The ADMM-Plus convenes defence ministers from the 10 ASEAN countries and also defence ministers from Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Russia and the United States. Consensus achieved at the meeting results in the issuance of two joint statements, one on Preventing and Countering the Threat of Terrorism, and the other on Practical Confidence...