China will host a commemorative summit with the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in late October, according to the
Chinese Foreign Ministry.
Chinese international studies experts believe that the summit
will push the China-ASEAN strategic partnership to a new level.
This will be the first time leaders of ASEAN nations and China
will meet in the Middle Kingdom, showing their intention to push
forward bilateral relations, said Shen Shishun, an expert with
China Institute of International Studies.
"Chinese and ASEAN leaders will probably review the development
and achievements of the bilateral relations and set out the future
bilateral cooperation," he said, adding that China will put forward
concrete suggestions for further deepening the bilateral
relations.
The summit, commemorating the 15th anniversary of the
establishment of China-ASEAN dialogue relations, will be held on
October 30 in Nanning of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Chinese
Premier Wen Jiabao and leaders from ASEAN countries
will attend the summit.
"The summit meeting will serve as a milestone in the development
of China-ASEAN relations," said Zhai Kun, an expert with China
Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
China and ASEAN countries have conducted fruitful cooperation in
fields of politics, economy and trade, security and culture during
the past 15 years.
According to the latest figures, the trade volume between China
and ASEAN members exceeded US$130 billion in 2005, and reached
US$72.7 billion during the first half of 2006. ASEAN's accumulated
investment to China has surged almost to US$40 billion.
Bilateral cooperation has been deepening in non-traditional
security fields such as anti-terrorism, drug enforcement, bird flu
control and disaster prevention, Shen added.
"The cooperation between China and ASEAN members has injected
vitality into the economic development of ASEAN countries," Shen
noted.
The third China-ASEAN Expo, as well as the third China-ASEAN
Business and Investment Summit, will be held on the sidelines of
the summit.
Zhai Kun said that the expo and business summits will play a
positive role in shaping the China-ASEAN free trade area.
"As long as China and ASEAN countries make joint efforts to
accelerate the negotiation process in service trade and investment,
China-ASEAN free trade area is likely to take shape in 2010," Zhai
said.
(Xinhua News Agency September 8, 2006)