Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo are expected to have a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a series of meetings in Singapore next week, said Assistant Foreign Minister He Yafei on Wednesday.

 

"The two sides are preparing for the bilateral meeting (between Wen and Fukuda)... if the meeting takes place, it will be Premier Wen's first meeting with Fukuda, and I believe the two will discuss issues regarding China-Japan relations," said He at a press conference.

 

Wen will make an official visit to Singapore and attend a series of meetings there from Nov. 18 to 22.

 

The meetings will include the 11th ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) plus Three (China, Japan and the Republic of Korea) summit, the 11th China-ASEAN summit, the third east Asian regional summit, and the eighth annual meeting of leaders of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea.

 

According to He, the ASEAN plus three summit will review the 10 years of cooperation between ASEAN and China, Japan and ROK and issue a joint statement on east Asia cooperation, the second of its kind, and a working plan on the ASEAN plus three cooperation.

 

He said Premier Wen will reiterate China's position to support the integration process of ASEAN and support ASEAN to play a leading role in regional cooperation, and make some new proposals on the ASEAN plus three cooperation.

 

At the east Asian regional summit, Wen will elaborate on China's position on climate change and the measures it has taken and further steps it will take to face climate change.

 

At the meeting between Chinese, Japanese and ROK leaders, the three sides will all make concrete proposals on strengthening practical cooperation, particularly in the fields of environmental protection, sci-tech, culture and youth exchange.

 

Leaders of the three countries may also touch on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue when they discuss some regional and international issues.

 

On the Myanmar issue, He said the issue is not included in the agenda of the above meetings, adding that China hopes to see stability, democracy, reconciliation and development in Myanmar, and calls for dialogues and patience in resolving the Myanmar issue.

 

He stressed that this is the fifth time for Premier Wen to attend the ASEAN series of meetings, and also an important visit by a major Chinese state leader after the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China held in mid October.

 

According to He, trade volume between China and ASEAN may top 190 billion U.S. dollars this year.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 15, 2007)