Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Yi yesterday applauded the achievements
of China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),
which have entered a more comprehensive and mature new stage in
their relationship.
His remarks came on the eve of Premier Zhu Rongji's departure today
for Phnom Penh, Cambodia, where he will attend the sixth leaders'
summit between China and ASEAN.
Wang, who is part of Zhu's entourage, said: "ASEAN occupies a
unique and important position in China's foreign policy, one which
is closely tied to the nation's expressed diplomatic stance."
Wang said China hopes for a peaceful international environment to
pursue its economic development and regional stability is
particularly vital to that end.
China has committed itself to enhancing cooperation with developing
countries. ASEAN comprises of 10 developing nations, all of which
are neighbors of China, said Wang. China has always supported
multi-polarization of the world's nations, which does not mean the
19th-century monopoly of international affairs by big powers, but
general participation of all nations, especially the developing
ones, in the international arena.
"ASEAN is an important rising force on the global stage," he
added.
The vice-minister said China-ASEAN relations have witnessed overall
development in the last decade with the collaboration of both
sides.
China and ASEAN agreed to establish good-neighborly relations, at
the forefront of which are mutual trust and cooperation, since
President Jiang Zemin attended the first China-ASEAN leaders'
summit in Kuala Lumpur in 1997.
"That has determined the orientation of the China-ASEAN
relationship in the new century," Wang said, adding that China had
signed declarations of cooperation with every member of the
10-nation ASEAN group and drawn the blueprint for bilateral
cooperation.
"ASEAN has reduced its apprehensions and enhanced its trust of
China in this process," Wang said.
At
the end of last year, when Premier Zhu attended the fifth leaders'
summit in Brunei, China and ASEAN agreed to establish a free-trade
area within a decade. "That's another milestone in the advancement
of the China-ASEAN relationship and one which shows the economic
interdependence between them," Wang said.
The vice-minister revealed that the two sides are expected to sign
a framework agreement on comprehensive economic cooperation during
the sixth summit, scheduled for Monday, thereby officially
initiating the process for the establishment of a China-ASEAN
free-trade area.
He
said China will release its country report on its participation in
the development of the Mekong River Basin when Zhu attends the
first Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) Economic Cooperation Summit,
which involves China, Myanmar, Laos, Viet Nam, Thailand and
Cambodia. The GMS Summit is to be held this Sunday immediately
ahead of the China-ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh.
Wang said China's participation in the GMS development covers both
the upper and the lower reaches of the Mekong River and is a
concrete effort to support the ASEAN integration process.
"We think that such development will benefit the whole sub-region
and should proceed in a step-by-step manner," he added.
China has invested US$5 million in improving the waterways of the
upper reaches of the Mekong River. In addition China will provide
US$30 million for the building of one-third of the Laos section of
the Kunming-Bangkok highway. It also remains supportive of the
construction of the Pan-Asia railway (Kunming-Singapore
railway).
Wang said China's participation in the Mekong River development
works in concert with the country's "go-west" strategy, as some of
its western provinces border this sub-region. "It will be a win-win
situation," he said.
The vice-foreign minister said China also hopes to explore and
expand fresh channels of cooperation with ASEAN and gradually open
up dialogue and cooperation in non-traditional security areas,
including counter-terrorism.
"Non-traditional security issues, including terrorism, drug
trafficking, smuggling, illegal immigration, piracy and AIDS are
pressing problems that many countries are facing today," Wang
continued.
He
said China attaches great importance to non-traditional security
issues and is ready to co-operate with other countries in this
field.
China will propose the convening of a ministerial meeting on
cross-border crime between ASEAN, China, Japan and the Republic of
Korea.
China also expects to issue an anti-terror declaration with ASEAN
to launch their cooperation in the non-traditional field of
security.
"China-ASEAN cooperation in the non-traditional security fields
will serve as a helpful trial and practice of China's new security
concept, featuring comprehensive, common and co-operative
security," he concluded.
(China
Daily November 1, 2002)