The 28th ASEAN-China Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, October 28, 2025.

Addressing the 28th ASEAN-China Summit in Malaysia on Tuesday, PM Chinh called for “smart, inclusive and sustainable connectivity,” including the effective rollout of the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) 3.0.

He emphasized the joint development of modern, green infrastructure linking ASEAN and China, focusing on high-speed rail networks, green ports, energy-efficient airports, and expanded smart border crossings.

The PM also pushed for digitalization of logistics and immigration to facilitate trade and people-to-people exchanges, greater smart urban area connectivity, sharing of digital governance and artificial intelligence (AI) management tools, and renewable energy solutions for urban planning. 

He affirmed that building strategic trust and maintaining regional peace and stability are prerequisites for sustainable and inclusive development.

ASEAN and China need to turn the East Sea into waters of peace, stability, cooperation and development, by fully and effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and working towards an effective and substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), which accords with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and harmonizes the legitimate interests of all parties, he said.