National flags of China and ASEAN member countries Photo: VCG

China and ASEAN member states have agreed to explore the possible establishment of cooperation mechanisms to enhance regional energy security and resilience, and further strengthen cooperation in regional power interconnectivity, energy supply chains, according to a China-ASEAN joint statement on addressing the regional impacts of developments in the Middle East and strengthening regional energy cooperation, which was released following the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting held on Wednesday in Manila.

In the statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday, China and ASEAN noted that they acknowledged the continued communication and cooperation on international and regional issues of common interest and responses.

The two sides recognized that the rapidly evolving situation in the Middle East and its spillover effects pose a grave threat to the lives and safety of civilians, as well as to regional and global peace, stability, and economic activities including regional trade, investment, energy and food security.

According to the statement, China and ASEAN have agreed to carry out exchange of information on energy policy and practical cooperation and explore the possible establishment of cooperation mechanisms for this purpose as mutually agreed to enhance regional energy security and resilience to contribute to sustainable development in the region.

"We will further strengthen cooperation in 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) and by exploring opportunities for cooperation under China's Global Development Initiative (GDI) and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)," reads the statement. 

The two sides also pledged to make appropriate use, where mutually agreed, of relevant cooperation initiatives, such as the partnership between ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) and the China-ASEAN Clean Energy Cooperation Center, and mobilize available public and private financing resources, including relevant ASEAN institutions, multilateral development banks, international financial institutions, and partner-supported financing mechanisms such as the China-ASEAN Investment Cooperation Fund. 

Ma Bo, an associate professor at the School of International Studies at Nanjing University, told the Global Times on Friday that what distinguishes this joint statement is its integration of spillover risks from Middle East conflicts with China-ASEAN priorities of regional sustainable development and energy security under a unified framework.

According to the expert, China and ASEAN will likely center future cooperation on energy transit security. The two sides may seek to diversify transport routes, with plans to upgrade the Myanmar-Thailand overland energy corridor and push ahead with Kra Isthmus planning, said Ma. 

In addition, China and ASEAN may also speed up talks on joint South China Sea oil and gas exploitation, said Ma, adding that the majority of coastal South China Sea nations, except the Philippines, is open to such practical cooperation, putting pressure on the Philippine side.

In the statement, China and ASEAN member states also reaffirmed support for ASEAN Centrality in the evolving regional architecture and all ASEAN-led mechanisms and fora, and recalling ASEAN's acknowledgment of China's active efforts to promote closer ASEAN-China cooperation, including China's vision to build a closer ASEAN-China community with a shared future. 

In this regard, Ma said that on traditional security matters such as the Myanmar crisis, Thai-Cambodian border clashes and South China Sea disputes between China and the Philippines, ASEAN always stays neutral and sticks to mediation instead of deep involvement. Energy security, a typical non-traditional security sector, may become a key pillar cementing ASEAN's centrality through future cooperation.

Furthermore, the push for deeper energy security cooperation between China and ASEAN will help transform ASEAN from a mere venue for consultations and dialogue into a full-fledged mechanism that delivers and implements tangible cooperation outcomes. This also represents an effective way to further boost ASEAN's strategic autonomy, said the expert.