By Xinhua BANGKOK – China and the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) agreed here Wednesday to forge closer ties at the China-ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting including a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea that will maintain peace and stability in the contested waters. Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi (5th from left) takes part in the China-ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in Bangkok, capital of Thailand, July 31, 2019. (Xinhua / MANILA BULLETIN) Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said at the meeting that ASEAN and ASEAN-led cooperation platforms have played an indispensable role in maintaining social stability and economic growth in the East Asia region amid profound global changes unseen in a century. Wang said China and ASEAN countries agreed to dovetail China's Belt and Road Initiative with the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity 2025, to designate 2020 as the year for China-ASEAN digital economy cooperation, to jointly safeguard multilateralism and oppose unilateralism and protectionism, to jointly establish regional rules, and to work together to maintain peace and stability. He also said that any initiative and vision should focus on the cooperation in East Asia and the entire Asia rather than affect the existing mechanisms on cooperation and their achievements, focus on cooperation and consensus rather than stir up geopolitical confrontation, focus on promoting openness, inclusiveness and transparency rather than form cliques and factions. Wang said China attaches great importance to the relations with ASEAN, which has become a banner for regional cooperation, and the two sides have always stepped forward hand-in-hand since establishing the dialogue partnership 28 years ago, in particular since the establishment of the strategic partnership 16 years ago. China and ASEAN have been working to consolidate political mutual trust and have always respected each other, Wang said. Efforts have been made to jointly build the Belt and Road Initiative for improved regional connectivity; people-to-people and cultural exchanges have been strengthened, and mutual learning and understanding have been promoted; multilateralism, economic integration and trade and investment liberalization in the region have been pushed forward, according to Wang.