China and ASEAN leaders signed a joint statement yesterday at
the China-ASEAN Commemorative Summit in Nanning,
capital of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The summit
marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of China-ASEAN
dialogue.
Attending the summit were Premier Wen Jiabao, and leaders from the 10 ASEAN
member nations – Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, Singapore, The Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
The summit represents a historical moment in China-ASEAN
relations because it was the first to be held between China and all
10 ASEAN leaders.
In his opening speech, Wen said that the opening of dialogue
relations between China and ASEAN 15 years ago marked a new
beginning in relationships. China-ASEAN relations have undergone a
process of removing misgivings and commencing dialogue, to what it
is today, that is, with enhanced mutual trust, and a strategic
partnership.
Remarkable achievements have been made through cooperation in
various fields. The construction of a free trade region is
developing steadily, first steps having already been taken with the
signing of the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic
Cooperation Between China and ASEAN.
Wen added that China and ASEAN are moving towards greater
integration in economics. In the space of just 15 years, trade
volumes grew by 15 times, from less than US$8 billion in 1991 to
over US$130 billion in 2005.
Plans are underway to boost bilateral cooperation during the
2005-2010 period. In this respect, 10 priority areas have been
identified: agriculture, information industry, human resources
development, mutual investment, Mekong River Basin development,
transport, energy, culture, tourism and public health.
In addition, all 10 ASEAN countries are approved destinations
for Chinese tourists.
Wen pointed out that cooperation in public security should be
further expanded, citing previous examples of mutual support
including the Asian financial crisis, SARS and the 2004 Indian
Ocean tsunami.
Moreover, China and ASEAN are committed to a peaceful and stable
East Asia. The two sides have worked together to advance the 10+1,
10+3 and East Asia cooperation and coordinated their positions in
the Asia-Europe cooperation process. China also supports ASEAN’s
leading role in regional affairs and cooperation.
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, president of the Philippines that
currently holds the rotating ASEAN presidency, delivered a speech
at the opening ceremony. She said that this summit was more
important than ever because open dialogue and trust between peoples
and nations have never been more important in today’s world. This
commemorative summit is a milestone in the history of China-ASEAN
dialogue relations, she remarked. She also highlighted that what
happens next is the most important issue: what state the
China-ASEAN relationship will be in 50 years, whether the economy
will be improved, and the world a safer place.
In a show of solidarity and commitment, a joint statement was
signed during the summit, which aims to enhance the China-ASEAN
strategic partnership. In addition to summarizing the achievements
made over the past 15 years, the statement maps out the future
development of China-ASEAN relations, and stresses the
strengthening of the strategic partnership, and cooperation in
various aspects including politics and security, economics,
socio-cultural, and regional and international cooperation.
China-ASEAN dialogue relations were launched in 1991 with China
becoming ASEAN's full dialogue partner in 1996. The two sides
established a strategic partnership for peace and prosperity in
2003.
(China.org.cn by staff reporter Xu Lin, October 31, 2006)