CHAIRMAN\'S STATEMENT OF THE 16TH ASEAN PLUS THREE SUMMIT

10 October  2013

Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei Darussalam

1.         The 16th ASEAN Plus Three Summit chaired by His Majesty Sultan  Haji Hassanal Bolkiah the Sultan  and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam was held on 10  October 2013  in Bandar  Seri Begawan Brunei Darussalam. The Heads of State/Government of ASEAN Member States the People\'s Republic of China Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) attended the Meeting.

2.         We  reviewed with  satisfaction the  progress and  achievements of the  ASEAN Plus Three  cooperation and agreed to continue deepening and  broadening the process as guided  by the Second Joint Statement on East Asia Cooperation and  the ASEAN Plus Three Leaders\' Joint Statement on the  Commemoration of the 15    Anniversary of the ASEAN Plus Three cooperation.

3.         As  ASEAN is  embarking  towards  an   ASEAN  Community  and   an   ASEAN Community\'s Post  2015  Vision we  acknowledged the  need  to  deepen and  enhance ASEAN\'s dialogue  partnership and external relations.

4.         We reaffirmed that the ASEAN  Plus Three  cooperation would  serve as a main vehicle towards the long-term goal of building an East Asian community with ASEAN as the  driving  force. At the same time we reiterated the  importance of ASEAN\'s central role in the evolving  regional  architecture and  recognised the mutually reinforcing and complementary roles  of the ASEAN Plus Three  and  other regional  processes such  as the ASEAN Plus Ones East Asia Summit (EA and ASEAN Regional Forum  (ARF) in the East Asian community building  process.

5.         The  ASEAN Leaders  also  encouraged the  Plus Three countries to  continue to support the  implementation of the  Roadmap  for an  ASEAN Community (2009-2015) and  contribute to  the  ASEAN Community Post-2015  Vision as  well  as  to  the  Bali Declaration on ASEAN Community in a Global Community  of Nations  (Bali Concord 111) to bring the ASEAN Community    platform on global issues  into reality  by 2022.

6.         We adopted the ASEAN Plus Three  Cooperation Work  Plan (2013-2017) which included  emerging priority areas and  key measures to deepen cooperation. We looked forward to its timely and effective  implementation over the next five years.

7. We   noted  with  appreciation  the  replenishment  of  the  ASEAN  Plus  Three  Cooperation Fund  and   encouraged  the  utilization  of  the  fund  to  further  implement  activities  under  the framework  of  ASEAN  Plus  Three  Cooperation  Work  Plan  (2013-2017).

 8.         We   reaffirmed  the   importance  of  the   ASEAN Plus  Three    cooperation  in maintaining  peace security and  stability which  are  indispensable  conditions  for development in the  East Asia region.  In this regard we agreed  to  further strengthen political-security cooperation  by  enhancing  mutual   understanding confidence  and stability in  order to  deal  with   emerging  challenges  in  both  traditional and   non­ traditional security  dimensions. In this  connection we welcomed the  outcomes of the 6    ASEAN Plus  Three  Ministerial Meeting  on  Transnational Crime  (AMMTC+3) 3  rd ASEAN Plus  People\'s  Republic  of China  Ministerial   Meeting  on Transnational  Crime (AMMTC+China) and 1st ASEAN Plus Japan Ministerial  Meeting on Transnational  Crime (AMMTC+Japan) on 18 September 2013 in Vientiane Lao  PDR.

9.         We welcomed the  continuing growth  of intra-regional trade in  the  East  Asia regionwith total  trade figures amounting to US$ 712  billion in 2012  compared to US$ 678  billion  in  2011. This  marks   an  increase of  5.0%  in  total   tradedespite  the uncertainties in  the  global  economy and  financial  markets. Similarlytotal  foreign direct  investment (FDI) flows  from  the  Plus Three  Countries recorded an  increase of 6.6% in 2012amounting to US$ 46.7 billionand  accounting for 43.6%  of the total  FDI flows  into  ASEAN. We agreed  to  continue strengthening regional  cooperation in the areas of trade and  investment facilitationand Small  and  Medium  Enterprise (SME) development. In this  connectionwe reiterated the  impo     ance  of strengthening and deepening existing ASEAN Plus One Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with  the Plus Three countries and urged business communities to take full advantage ofthese  FTAs.

10.      We  welcomed the  progress of negotiations on  the  Regional  Comprehensive Economic   Partnership  (RCEP)  which   would   recognise  ASEAN Centrality  in  the emerging regional  economic  architecture and  the  interests of the  ASEAN Plus Three countries in supporting and  contributing to economic  integration equitable  economic development       and   strengthening  economic   cooperation  among   the   participating countries. In this  regard we looked  forward  to  its  timely  conclusion by  the  end  of 2015.

11.      We welcomed the achievements of the 16    ASEAN Plus Three Finance  Ministers and Central 8ank Governors\' Meeting held in Delhi India on 3 May  2013inc1uding the finalisation of amendments to the Chiang Mai Initiative  Multilateralisation Agreement consensus on the draft Agreement to transform the ASEAN Plus Three  Macroeconomic Research  Office to an international organization endorsement of the work  plan for the implementation  of  the   Asian   Bond  Markets   Initiative   New   Roadmap+  and   the inauguration  of  the  guarantee transaction of  the  Credit  Guarantee and  Investment Facility.

12.      We    recognised    the    need    to    balance   energy    security   with       economic competitiveness and  environmental sustainability and  acknowledged the  importance  of  stakeholder cooperation to study possible energy options for the region including among  others civilian  nuclear  energy oil  stockpiling and clean  coal  technologies taking into account each country\'s national policy and circumstances and to look into new energy cooperation  areas  such as the use of clean and  environmentally-friendly technologies.  In this connection we  welcomed the outcomes  of the 10    ASEAN Plus Three Ministers on Energy Meeting in Bali Indonesia on 25 September 2013.

13.      We reaffirmed  the  important role  of the ASEAN  Plus Three  Emergency  Rice Reserve (APTERR) to serve as a permanent mechanism in enhancing  food security  in the  region and  at the same time we  commended  its initiatives  in response to acute food emergencies.  We acknowledged  the good progress on the implementation of the APTERR Agreement including ratification  by all APTERR parties establishment of the APTERR Council and  launching  of  the  APTERR  Secretariat.In  this  relation we welcomed the outcomes of the 13th Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry P1us Three (AMAF+3) held on 27 September  2013 in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia.

14.       We reiterated the need to further strengthen regional cooperation  in the area of disaster  management and  reaffirmed  our  commitment  to create  a disaster  resilient society   ín  the   region.  We  supported  the   full  operationalisation  of  the   ASEAN Coordinating  Centre  for  Humanitarian   Assistance  on  Disaster  Management   (AHA Centre) and the implementation of the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response  (AADMER) Work  Programme  (2010-2015). I n this  regard we welcomed  the  adoption   of  the  ASEAN Dec l a r a t  i  o n  on  Enhancing  Cooperation   in Disaster  Management  at  the  23rd   ASEAN  Summit  in  Bandar  Seri  Begawan Brunei Darussalam on 9 October 2013.

15.      We emphasised  the importance of enhancing cooperation  to address the issue of climate change. In this connection   we expressed  our commitment to work  closely together   to  ensure   the  successful  outcome  of the  19     Conference  of the   Parties (CO P19) to the UNFCCC and the 9th  Conference of the Parties serving as the Meeting of the  Parties  (CMP9) to  the  Kyoto Protoco1 to  be held in Warsaw Poland   on 11-22 November 2013. We recognised  the importance  of water  resources preservation and management for  sustainable deve10pment. We  agreed  on  the  need  for  enhanced cooperation  in this area  with a view to preventing  floods and droughts in the region which could affect agricu1tural productivity and regiona1 food security .

16.      We  recognised    the   increasing   need   to   facilitate   closer   cooperation   on environment and sustainab1e development  hence welcomed the convening of the 12 ASEAN P1us Three  Environment  Ministers\' Meeting held in Surabaya Indonesia on 26 September  2013. We a1so welcomed  the proposal  to hold the  2nd  ASEAN Pl us Three Youth Environment  Forum with  the theme "Youth and Sustainability"  in Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei Darussa1am in November 2013.

17.      We noted implementation of the ASEAN Plus Three Plan of Action on Education (2010-2017) which would help strengthen education cooperation  and human resource development in  East Asia region.  We a1so reaffirmed  the  need  to  promote  quality assurance in higher education amongst the ASEAN Plus Three countries and welcomed the  convening  of  meetings  to  promote  mobility  of  higher  education   and  quality education assurance of higher education among ASEAN Plus Three countries  in Tokyo Japan on 30 September to 1 October in 2013. We took note that  the  UNESCO World Conference  on  Education  for  Sustainable  Development  would  be  held  in  Japan  in November 2014.

18.      We reaffirmed  our support to strengthen cooperation  in addressing threats of disease outbreaks in the  East Asia region and agreed  to focus health  cooperation on areas such as Emerging Infectious Diseases Pandemic Preparedness and Response and Traditional   Medicines  in  1ine   with   the   ASEAN Strategic   Framework   on   Health Development (2010-2015). At the same time we shared  the intention  to cooperate on the   increasing   burden    of   non-communicable    diseases   and   work   towards  the achievement of Universal Health Coverage.

19.      We looked forward to the signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation  (MOC) on ASEAN Plus Three Tourism Cooperation in early 2014 which would be one of the key instruments to strengthen cooperation amongst the ASEAN Plus Three countries in the tourism sector.

20.      We recognised  the  need to raise awareness of ASEAN and to promote mutual understanding amongst  the people of ASEAN Plus Three countries  hence agree to strengthen  cooperation  in  the  information   sector.  We  also  look  forward  to  the successful  implementation  of  the   Work   Plan  on   Enhancing  ASEAN Plus  Three Cooperation Through Information and Media (2012-2017).

21.    We noted  the  convening  of the  4th   ASEAN  Plus Three  Ministerial  Meeting on Youth held  in  Bandar  Seri  Begawan Brunei  Darussalam  on  23  May 2013  and  the readiness of the  Plus Three  countries  to continue  supporting and  cooperating with ASEAN on youth programmes. We noted that new initiatives and programmes from the Plus Three countries  offered more opportunities for further  interaction and exchange of technical know-how between the young people of ASEAN Plus Three countries.

22.       We  recognised   the   importance  of  realising   the   Master   Plan  on   ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) and welcomed the support of all Dialogue Partners especially the Plus  Three  countries as  well  as  external   parties  and  the  private   sector in  the implementation of the  MPAC.We also looked forward  to the implementation of the Leaders\' Statement on ASEAN  Plus Three  Partnership on Connectivity  which  would harness  the  extensive  mechanisms  of the ASEAN  Plus Three  cooperation to further enhance regional connectivity.

23.       We took  note of the adoption  of the Concept Paper on the  Follow-Ups to the East Asia Vision Group 11  (EAVG 11)by the 14  ASEAN Plus Three  Foreign Ministers\' Meeting in Bandar Seri Begawan Brunei Darussalam  on 30 June 2013. The  Concept Paper  outlined   a  comprehensive assessment  to  be  taken   in  three   phases   from November 2013  to October  2014and  in this regard we  looked forward  to the final report  on the follow-ups to the EAVG  11 Report at the 17th  ASEAN Plus Three Summit in Myanmar in 2014.