China's Navy aircraft carrier formation sails in the South China Sea, on April 18, 2018. [Photo/VCG] The situation in the South China Sea has stabilized and will remain stable as long as countries outside the region refrain from making troubles, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday. China and member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations will speed up consultation on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea on the basis of comprehensive and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, Wang said during a meeting with ASEAN Secretary-General Lim Jock Hoi. China believes that a new round of senior officials meetings, which will be held in China at the end of this month, will achieve new progress, Wang said. He emphasized that as long as outside forces stop making waves, consultations on the COC will push forward smoothly. The state councilor noted that China and ASEAN will work out the China-ASEAN Strategic Partnership Vision 2030 to make medium-and long-term plan for future cooperation. That 2018 is China-ASEAN Innovation Year will provide new driving forces for bilateral relations and their respective development, Wang said. China and ASEAN will also strengthen the synergy between the Belt and Road Initiative and ASEAN's development plan like the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025 to explore new areas for bilateral cooperation, he added. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-ASEAN strategic partnership. In 2003, China became the first country to join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia and establish a strategic partnership with ASEAN. It was also the first country, in 2002, to sign a free trade agreement with ASEAN and has led other major countries to pay more attention to and accelerate their relations with ASEAN, according to Wang. The ASEAN secretary-general said that China is the most dynamic strategic partner of ASEAN, and the ASEAN Secretariat will play a positive role in deepening the cooperation between both sides in areas like politics, economy and people-to-people exchanges. According to the Commerce Ministry, bilateral trade volume between China and ASEAN reached $514.8 billion last year. China is ASEAN's largest trade partner and ASEAN is China's third-largest trade partner. material braceletscustom wristbands no minimumsilicone rubber bandsbat fidget spinnerprinted bracelets
TAIPEI - Typhoon Maria, the eighth typhoon of the year, has halted work and classes in Taiwan.The typhoon is forecast to bring strong winds and downpours to Taiwan from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning, local meteorological authorities said.As of 3 pm Tuesday, Maria was moving westerly and northwesterly in the waters off Yilan county at a speed of 30 km per hour. Authorities in Taitung county observed sea waves up to 7 meters high on Tuesday morning.Strong rain has hit the island as the typhoon approached, and strong gusts of wind are predicted in mountainous areas of Taipei.Meteorological authorities have issued warnings about downpours in areas including New Taipei city, Keelung, Taipei, Taoyuan, Yilan and Taichung.The typhoon also affected transportation, with trains halted and flights canceled.
