Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono stated that the ASEAN-China economic partnership must strengthen regional resilience and stability amid growing global uncertainty.”The large scale of ASEAN-China relations must translate into tangible benefits for the people, supply chain resilience, and the ability to face shocks,” Sugiono said in Manila on Wednesday.According to the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ASEAN-China trade reached US$772.4 billion in 2024, accounting for approximately one-fifth of ASEAN's total trade.”This is not just a number. Behind it are jobs, markets, supply chains, and people's welfare,” he said.Indonesia is encouraging the optimization of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA) 3.0 to strengthen economic integration that is more practical, inclusive, and better prepared to address future challenges.”The region's economic strength is not measured solely by the value of trade, but also by the extent to which its benefits reach people and businesses beyond major growth centers,” he said.In addition to strengthening trade, Indonesia is promoting an ASEAN-China partnership that is better equipped to cushion the region against the impacts of global uncertainty, the minister said.He emphasized that ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) must remain the foundation of regional stability.According to Sugiono, both principles should also support inclusive, transparent, and rules-based cooperation amid growing geopolitical rivalry.He added that this approach should also be reflected in maritime cooperation, as regional waters serve as vital routes for trade, connectivity, and energy and food security.Indonesia is once again pushing for the completion of an effective and substantive Code of Conduct (COC) in the South China Sea based on international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).Sugiono said be not only a driver of growth but also a a strong COC would demonstrate the ability of regional countries to maintain stability and shape their own future.”The ASEAN-China partnership must be not only a driver of growth but also a pillar of regional peace,” he said.This year marks the 35th anniversary of the ASEAN-China Dialogue Partnership and the fifth anniversary of the two sides' Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.The meeting also issued a joint statement on the impact of developments in the Middle East and on strengthening regional energy cooperation, including joint responses and energy security.