From November 28 to 30, Premier Wen
Jiabao will be in Vientiane, Laos, to attend the eighth summit
of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China
(10-Plus-1) and ASEAN and China, Japan and South Korea (10-Plus-3),
as well as the sixth China-Japan-South Korea summit, Vice-Foreign
Minister Wu Dawei said at a news briefing on Wednesday in
Beijing.
During the 10-Plus-1 Summit, China and ASEAN will sign the
framework agreement on full cooperation and the China-ASEAN
memorandum of understanding on communications cooperation.
The parties will also sign agreements on goods trade and on a
dispute settlement mechanism. The agreements are considered to be a
breakthrough in negotiation of a China-ASEAN free trade area
(FTA).
The establishment of the full FTA includes negotiations on goods
and service trade as well as investment.
China and ASEAN will issue at the summit an action plan for
advancing their strategic partnership, which targets full
cooperation within the next five years.
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Premier Wen will also raise some specific proposals on advancing
partnerships with ASEAN, such as energy cooperation and encouraging
youth exchanges, Wu said.
China and ASEAN have so far established six cooperation
assemblies attended by ministers of foreign affairs, economics,
communications, customs, and youth affairs and by
procurator-generals.
In the 10 Plus 3 summit, leaders will discuss how to develop the
proposed East Asian Community.
ASEAN includes Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
Leaders from China, South Korea and Japan will develop a
cooperation action plan at their summit.
"China is willing to make joint efforts with Japan and South
Korea to increase policy exchanges and coordination and to promote
stability and development in the region," said Wu.
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China seeks the development of the whole region in its cooperation
with ASEAN, Japan and South Korea, rather than gains only for
itself, Wu said.
"On this temporary trade imbalance, China has taken a very
realistic stance," Wu said, "I think in the long run, our trade
ties and economic cooperation will all benefit."
(Xinhua News Agency November 25, 2004)