China believes that its relations with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will prosper despite challenges as long as both sides "keep to the right path."
During the ASEAN-China Summit in Jakarta on Wednesday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang that "no matter what storm may come, the ASEAN-China cooperation will be as firm as ever and press ahead against all odds."
His pronouncement came amid the controversial 2023 standard map of China, which was rejected by five ASEAN members—namely the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Vietnam—due to its illegal claims over territories of the said countries.
Li expressed confidence that both sides "would achieve greater development and progress in the course of such cooperation."

Representing President Xi Jinping at the summit, Li cited the significant gains that China and the regional bloc made in the past years.
These included the building of strategic partnership, which eventually elevated to comprehensive. "That is a strong testament to the strategic trust between our two sides," Li said.
Gains also included the mutual assistance to each other, a good neighborly friendship, a productive cooperation and the doubling of trade volume, which has reached 970 billion dollars in total.
"We have reached full consensus on regional connectivity, delivered a steady stream of signature outcomes in high quality belt and road cooperation and made solid progress in building the new international land-sea trade corridor. All these brought new opportunities for both sides," Li said.
China and ASEAN have also been committed to coordination and inclusiveness as well as cooperation on climate action, environmental protection, energy transition and poverty reduction.
President Joko Widodo of Indonesia, which currently chairs ASEAN, recognized China's value for the regional bloc.
Widodo said China is one ASEAN's four dialogue partners with the status of comprehensive strategic partner.
"We need to interpret all of this by realizing concrete cooperation that is mutually beneficial, and this concrete cooperation will only be possible when we have trust towards one another, which of course needs to be built and maintained by all parties," he said.
"Trust and concrete cooperation can become the positive force for regional stability and peace," he added.
Li's and Widodo's remarks were delivered in their mother tongues, but were translated by ASEAN's official interpreter on live broadcasts.