In a speech to the East Asia Summit Leaders' Dialogue in Kuala Lumpur today, Premier Wen Jiabao hailed relations between China and ASEAN, and said the country is committed to regional cooperation to foster a harmonious, secure and prosperous environment.

"On the political front, China and ASEAN have, through the effective 10+1 cooperation mechanism, forged a strategic partnership and issued the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea," he said.

"China is the first country outside Southeast Asia to have acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, and it will soon become a development partner of the East ASEAN Growth Area," said Wen.

"Economically, China and ASEAN are working to establish a free trade area. The two sides have concluded the agreement on trade in goods, and started negotiations on service trade and investment agreements," Wen said.

He said China supports enhancing financial cooperation among East Asian countries, and has signed Currency Swap Agreements worth US$15.5 billion under the Chiang Mai Initiative.

He added that China has offered full support in terms of capital, technology and market access in promoting Greater Mekong Subregion economic cooperation, provided special preferential tariff treatment for 950 products from Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, and cancelled the matured government debts of some of the least developed countries in Asia.

Wen arrived in the Malaysian capital yesterday for the 1st East Asia Summit due to start on Wednesday and involving ASEAN, Australia, China, India, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea.

The 10+1 and 10+3 summits, between ASEAN and China and between ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea respectively, were also scheduled for today.

ASEAN, founded in 1967, groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The East ASEAN Growth Area comprises Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

The Greater Mekong Subregion is made up of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and China's Yunnan Province.

(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2005)