(Bandar Seri Begawan, 19th) Chinese Ambassador to Brunei, Xiao Jianguo, recently published a signed article pointing out that on October 23 this year, the Fourth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China adopted the "Recommendations of the CPC Central Committee on the Formulation of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development," clearly stating that the next five years are a crucial period for China to basically achieve socialist modernization. The goal is to achieve a significant leap in comprehensive national strength and for the per capita gross domestic product to reach the level of moderately developed countries by 2035, thereby essentially realizing socialist modernization. The plan emphasizes accelerating the construction of a modern industrial system, developing advanced manufacturing and new quality productive forces, promoting high-level opening up to the outside world, steadily expanding institutional opening, maintaining a multilateral trading system, and jointly building the Belt and Road Initiative to a high quality.
The article points out that in 2008, the Brunei government formulated "Vision 2035" with the aim of improving the quality of life of its people and building a vibrant and sustainable economy. Brunei has promoted economic diversification, high-quality growth, and continuous improvement in people's living standards by formulating national five-year development plans, implementing eight major development strategies, identifying five key development areas, and issuing targeted policy measures. Ambassador Xiao mentioned that China’s “15th Five-Year Plan” and Brunei’s “Vision 2035” are highly compatible, laying a solid foundation for bilateral cooperation and development.
He noted that on October 28 this year, in the presence of the leaders of China and ASEAN, the "Protocol to Upgrade the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area to Version 3.0" was signed, injecting new momentum into an open world economy and also providing a platform for the alignment of China’s “15th Five-Year Plan” and Brunei’s “Vision 2035”. The 3.0 version protocol upholds the spirit of openness, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness, covering traditional areas such as customs, trade facilitation, and technical standards, while for the first time including emerging areas such as the digital economy, green economy, and supply chain connectivity, promoting a shift from “factor-based opening” to “institutional opening”.
Ambassador Xiao pointed out that the signing of the protocol will help China achieve a higher level of opening up and high-quality development, while also enabling all ASEAN member states to increase their participation in global value chains, develop emerging industries such as the digital and green economy, and enhance regional economic resilience. For Brunei, the protocol offers a great opportunity to deepen cooperation with China. Through tariff reductions, mutual recognition of standards, and trade facilitation, Brunei’s specialty and high value-added products can quickly enter the Chinese and regional markets. At the same time, China’s experience in new energy, digital infrastructure, and smart city construction can provide Brunei with technical and financial support for digital transformation and low-carbon development.
Ambassador Xiao emphasized that the 3.0 version protocol serves as a link connecting China’s “15th Five-Year Plan” and Brunei’s “Vision 2035”. By strengthening “hard connectivity” in logistics, digital infrastructure, and green energy as well as “soft connectivity” in institutional rules, standards mutual recognition, and trade facilitation, it offers a solid framework and mechanism guarantee for bilateral cooperation. The development of China-Brunei as well as China-ASEAN relations and economic cooperation will have an even brighter future.
He quoted the ancient saying, “Those who build walls are trapped behind them; those who build bridges can traverse the world,” expressing his willingness to join hands with Brunei, using the 3.0 version protocol as an opportunity to promote strategic planning alignment, advance the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and foster the in-depth development of the China-Brunei community of shared destiny as well as the China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
He noted that on October 28 this year, in the presence of the leaders of China and ASEAN, the "Protocol to Upgrade the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area to Version 3.0" was signed, injecting new momentum into an open world economy and also providing a platform for the alignment of China’s “15th Five-Year Plan” and Brunei’s “Vision 2035”. The 3.0 version protocol upholds the spirit of openness, mutual benefit, and inclusiveness, covering traditional areas such as customs, trade facilitation, and technical standards, while for the first time including emerging areas such as the digital economy, green economy, and supply chain connectivity, promoting a shift from “factor-based opening” to “institutional opening”.
Ambassador Xiao pointed out that the signing of the protocol will help China achieve a higher level of opening up and high-quality development, while also enabling all ASEAN member states to increase their participation in global value chains, develop emerging industries such as the digital and green economy, and enhance regional economic resilience. For Brunei, the protocol offers a great opportunity to deepen cooperation with China. Through tariff reductions, mutual recognition of standards, and trade facilitation, Brunei’s specialty and high value-added products can quickly enter the Chinese and regional markets. At the same time, China’s experience in new energy, digital infrastructure, and smart city construction can provide Brunei with technical and financial support for digital transformation and low-carbon development.
Ambassador Xiao emphasized that the 3.0 version protocol serves as a link connecting China’s “15th Five-Year Plan” and Brunei’s “Vision 2035”. By strengthening “hard connectivity” in logistics, digital infrastructure, and green energy as well as “soft connectivity” in institutional rules, standards mutual recognition, and trade facilitation, it offers a solid framework and mechanism guarantee for bilateral cooperation. The development of China-Brunei as well as China-ASEAN relations and economic cooperation will have an even brighter future.
He quoted the ancient saying, “Those who build walls are trapped behind them; those who build bridges can traverse the world,” expressing his willingness to join hands with Brunei, using the 3.0 version protocol as an opportunity to promote strategic planning alignment, advance the high-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative, deepen pragmatic cooperation in various fields, and foster the in-depth development of the China-Brunei community of shared destiny as well as the China-ASEAN community with a shared future.