— On September 15, 2025, the Philippines, China, and other ASEAN member states gathered in Guilin, Guangxi, to attend the 2025 China-ASEAN Construction Ministers Roundtable Meeting. The meeting adopted the outcome document, the Guilin Initiative, reaching important consensus on multiple areas of cooperation including promoting digital and intelligent advancement in housing and urban-rural development, and strengthening the preservation and continuation of historical and cultural heritage in urban and rural areas.
The Philippines, China, and other ASEAN countries have reached a consensus in Guilin to jointly promote digitally empowered urban and rural development, achieving a seamless integration of tradition and modernity in the construction sector.
This roundtable meeting was held under the theme “Digital and Intelligent Empowerment, Cultural Inheritance: Promoting High-Quality Development in the China-ASEAN Construction Sector.”
Construction ministers and representatives from the Philippines, China, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and ASEAN observer Timor-Leste held discussions to jointly advance higher-quality and more sustainable development in housing and urban-rural construction.
The meeting adopted the outcome document, the Guilin Initiative. All parties reached important consensus on cooperation in advancing digital and intelligent solutions in housing and urban-rural development, strengthening the protection of urban and rural historical culture, and building safe, comfortable, green, and intelligent quality housing.
The China-ASEAN Construction Ministers Roundtable Meeting has established a practical cooperation platform for implementing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the New Urban Agenda, the Global Development Initiative, and the Global Security Initiative.
Since its establishment in 2023, both sides have consistently reached and actively implemented the Nanning Initiative and the Kuala Lumpur Consensus. The exchange and cooperation mechanisms have been continuously improved, joint talent and technology training has yielded significant results, and key projects such as the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City have been steadily advanced.
The continuous expansion in the breadth and depth of cooperation and the increasingly rich outcomes have laid a solid foundation for cooperation in the construction sector between China and ASEAN countries.
Ni Hong, China’s Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, shared China’s experiences and practices in using digital and intelligent means to build safe, comfortable, green, and intelligent quality housing.
Minister Ni introduced China’s practical experience in enhancing urban governance capability, strengthening fundamental urban safety protocols, promoting the transformation and upgrading of the construction industry, and preserving and sustaining urban and rural historical culture.
Minister Ni pointed out that the Chinese government attaches great importance to urban work. The National Conference on Urban Work, held in July this year, proposed to chart a new path for urban modernization with Chinese characteristics.
Ministers and representatives from the Philippines expressed their willingness to work with the Chinese side to consolidate the existing strong foundation of cooperation, continuously broaden the areas of collaboration, jointly address challenges, and open up new prospects for development in the field of housing and urban-rural construction.
China and ASEAN have a solid foundation for cooperation and broad prospects in the field of housing and urban-rural development. All parties will work together to implement the Guilin Initiative, further strengthening close cooperation in areas such as digital and intelligent innovation, urban and rural historical and cultural protection, quality housing construction, new city and district development, and urban renewal.
This cooperation will contribute to enhancing people’s well-being and building a closer China-ASEAN community with a shared future.
Outside the Guilin Conference Center, the flags of China and ASEAN countries flew side by side. Attendees exchanged smiles, engaged in discussions, and took group photos together, capturing this important moment promoting regional construction cooperation.
The adoption of the Guilin Initiative outlines a new blueprint for cooperation in the construction sector between China and ASEAN countries, including the Philippines. This cooperation encompasses not only technological innovation but also cultural preservation, aiming to jointly address the challenges of climate change and promote sustainable urban and rural development.
With the implementation of these initiatives, urban development in the Philippines is expected to incorporate Chinese expertise, accelerate its digital and intelligent transformation, and create more livable, smart, and green modern urban spaces.
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