With some countries embracing unilateralism and protectionism, the world needs to shore up the spirit of multilateralism and win-win cooperation more than ever, a China Daily editorial said.

East Asia has been a beneficiary of globalization. The blueprint of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations for building the ASEAN Economic Community, with the support of its regional partners including China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, is itself a reflection of the region's desire to ride the wave of globalization and free trade.

In his speech addressing a business forum in Singapore on Nov 13, Premier Li Keqiang struck a resonant note on multilateralism, stressing that the world should not shun the principles of multilateralism and free trade, and neither does it need to reinvent the wheel.

It is heartening to see Li and other regional leaders attending the series of meetings on East Asia cooperation in Singapore this week showing a shared commitment to regional cooperation and integration.

ASEAN's community building, together with various other regional economic cooperation vehicles that have been established, have formed a launchpad for countries in the region to pursue a much more ambitious goal — the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).

The efforts to realize the RCEP, along with concurrent efforts to facilitate talks on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, show the region is standing together to reject a beggar-thy-neighbor approach in favor of equitable and rule-based free trade and international cooperation that helps each country and its neighbors to prosper alike, the editorial said.