At the 28th ASEAN Plus Three Summit in Malaysia on October 27, 2025, the Chinese premier offered a roadmap for East Asia’s next growth chapter, stressing openness and cooperation as the region’s competitive edge. He also congratulated Timor-Leste on officially joining the ASEAN family, reinforcing the region’s expanding footprint.
Drawing on decades of remarkable growth—from Japan’s postwar boom to the rise of the Four Asian Tigers, Tiger Cub Economies and China’s reform era—Li Qiang highlighted a central lesson: "The past informs the future." Even amid global trade disruptions and high tariffs, East Asia remains a vibrant engine of growth.
Three priorities stood out:
- Safeguarding peace and stability through dialogue, opposing protectionism and deepening regional integration.
- Strengthening industrial and supply-chain collaboration to make production more efficient and resilient.
- Cultivating innovation in AI, robotics, biomedicine, digital economy, electric vehicles and clean energy to spark new development drivers.
Looking ahead, Li Qiang called on the 10+3 members—including ASEAN, China, Japan and the ROK—to unite strategies and take concrete actions that will renew East Asia’s era of economic miracles. "The epicenter of the Asian economy is in East Asia," he said. "These miracles are not behind us, but ahead of us."
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Full text: Remarks by Premier Li Qiang at 28th ASEAN Plus Three Summit
cgtn.com
