On November 19, 2012, the 15th China-ASEAN summit was convened in Phnom Penh, capital of Cambodia. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and leaders of 10 ASEAN countries attended the summit, which was co-chaired by Premier Wen and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

In his address to the summit, Premier Wen said that over the past year China-ASEAN relations have maintained a good momentum of development and important progress has been made. This has laid down a more solid foundation and created more channels for bilateral ties and has made China and ASEAN more confident in joining efforts to forge ahead. The priorities of bilateral relations in the next stage will be continuing construction of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, strengthened cooperation in science and technology and connectivity, and closer social and cultural exchanges.

Wen said that China and ASEAN have relied on their own force and worked together in the past 20 years in overcoming various challenges and succeeded in safeguarding regional peace and stability. Now the region has embarked on a promising path leading to common development. However, the global and regional situation has undergone complicated changes due to the ongoing global financial crisis, which brings not only new opportunities for development but also uncertainties. Wen urged ASEAN members to draw on historical experiences, focus on common interests, stay in the right direction and make concerted efforts to revitalize East Asia. He proposed the following:

First, China and ASEAN should adhere to mutual respect, mutual trust, and good-neighborly relations. China is willing to increase dialogue and enhance cooperation with ASEAN members in security and strategic fields, and make further contribution to East Asia's lasting peace and prosperity

Second, China supports ASEAN's bid to seek strength in unity. China opposes not only hegemony and power politics, but also the idea of regional affairs managed or dominated by big powers.

Third, related parties in East Asia should properly handle their differences and disputes in the spirit of seeking consensus through consultation and accommodating each other's concerns, so as to preserve the overall situation of cooperation and development in the region.

Fourth, China and ASEAN should help each other and make concerted efforts to cope with the international financial crisis. The two sides should fend off all kinds of disturbances, push forward the integration process in a comprehensive manner, and promote long-term, high-quality development of East Asia.

Other national leaders attending the summit stated that China-ASEAN cooperation is of vital importance to the promotion of regional peace and stability. Over the past 15 years, ASEAN and China have supported and helped each other, cooperating well in overcoming the financial crisis, public health crises and natural disasters. These common undertakings have yielded fruitful results and helped forged a profound friendship between the two sides. It has been proved that China is ASEAN's real friend and faithful partner. ASEAN countries appreciate China's support for ASEAN integration and are willing to work with China in increasing mutual trust, deepening cooperation, solving issues of common concern through dialogue and consultation, and pushing forward the ASEAN-China strategic partnership of peace and prosperity.

The summit adopted the "Joint Statement on the Commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea".