China, ASEAN Bolster Energy Cooperation
NEWS AGENCY:
Xinhua News Agency
DATE OF News:
July 24, 2026
On July 22, 2026, Chinese and ASEAN foreign ministers met in Manila, the Philippines, and jointly adopted the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Joint Statement on Addressing the Regional Impacts of Developments in the Middle East and Strengthening Regional Energy Cooperation (the “Statement”). The Statement aims to address the impact of the Middle East situation on regional energy security and to deepen practical cooperation between the two sides in the energy sector.
According to the Statement, both sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation in areas including regional power interconnectivity, energy supply chains, clean low-carbon and renewable energy, energy technology innovation, civilian nuclear energy, and other relevant areas, in support of the ASEAN Plan of Action for Energy Cooperation (2026–2030). The two sides also pledged to make appropriate use, where mutually agreed, of relevant cooperation initiatives, such as the partnership between the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and the China–ASEAN Clean Energy Cooperation Center, and to mobilize available public and private financing resources, including relevant ASEAN institutions, multilateral development banks, international financial institutions, and partner-supported financing mechanisms like the China–ASEAN Investment Cooperation Fund.
The Statement elevates China-ASEAN energy cooperation from the bilateral trade and economic sphere to the level of regional security and strategic assurance, while unlocking new investment and cooperation opportunities for energy enterprises on both sides.
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