The 11th meeting between leaders of China and the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) was held in Singapore on
Tuesday.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (5th,L) attends
the 11th the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-China
Summit in Singapore on Nov. 20, 2007.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and leaders of the 10 ASEAN member
countries attended the summit, during which Wen delivered a
speech.
Wen said over the past year, guided by the Joint Statement
issued at the Commemorative Summit Marking the 15th Anniversary of
ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, China and ASEAN countries have made
new achievements in good neighborly relations and mutually
beneficial cooperation.
China and ASEAN are currently moving into new times and new
stages of development, he added.
It is the Chinese government's unwavering foreign policy to
cement and boost the China-ASEAN strategic partnership toward peace
and prosperity, Wen said.
He said that the Chinese side would like to strengthen
cooperation with ASEAN in the following aspects in the upcoming
year:
First, China will promote a mutual political trust and policy
coordination with ASEAN.
Second, China will boost economic and trade ties and raise the
level of its cooperation with the bloc.
Three, China would like to carry out practical cooperation with
ASEAN in nontraditional security fields.
Four, China will actively support the construction of the ASEAN
community and its integration process.
Five, China will expand social, cultural and personnel exchanges
with ASEAN.
The Chinese premier said the development of China and ASEAN is
interdependent and serves as a catalyst for each other's
growth.?
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (C) attends the
11th the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-China
Summit in Singapore on Nov. 20, 2007.
China's economic and social development would provide greater
and more development space as well as chances for its neighboring
countries, including ASEAN members and other countries in the
world, he said.
The Chinese side is willing to formulate joint efforts with
ASEAN to push forward bilateral ties.
Leaders of ASEAN member nations highly appreciated the
considerable development of the ASEAN-China dialogue relations and
their respective ties with China, which have grown in a sound
manner.
They all said that China sticks to the road of peaceful
development, adheres to the policy of good-neighborly friendship,
and is a trusted friend and close partner of ASEAN.
China's development is a huge chance for ASEAN and has provided
a bright prospect for promoting bilateral cooperation, they
added.
The leaders said ASEAN members hope to further strengthen
political and security dialogues with China, to broaden bilateral
cooperation regarding economics, information, infrastructure and
nontraditional security fields, and to increase personnel
exchanges.
In this way, the two sides can work together to boost peace,
embrace challenges, seek development and enjoy prosperity, they
added.
After the meeting, Wen and ASEAN leaders attended a ceremony to
sign a memorandum of understanding affirming the strengthening
China-ASEAN health and plant health cooperation.
The Chinese premier arrived here on Sunday for an official visit
to Singapore. During his stay here, he was also scheduled to attend
the 11th ASEAN plus Three Summit, the Third East Asia Summit and
the eighth meeting of leaders of China, Japan and South Korea.
As a regional cooperation group founded in August 1967, ASEAN
comprises Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
(Xinhua News Agency November 21, 2007)
