Youth in the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (ASEAN) member countries and China should promote and enhance communication and mutual understanding in a bid to put a strong foundation of the relations among their countries, professor from the Chinese Academy of Social Science Lu Jianren said in Jakarta on Monday.

 

Talking to the youth representatives from ASEAN member countries and China during the two-day ASEAN-China Lecturer Series, Lu said that the communication could also boost economic and cultural communication and cooperation among their countries.

 

"We should encourage and promote bilateral communication between the youth, open more channels and widen the areas for communication and cooperation," he said.

 

The professor said that the communication was important by the reason that the youth shouldered historical responsibility of consolidating, inheriting and developing Sino-ASEAN traditional friendship and promoting bilateral relations.

 

Lu's speech, together with some other speeches and seminars, was part of the ASEAN-China Lecture Series, which are held in China and ASEAN countries to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of dialogue relations between both sides.

 

Since both sides formed dialogue relations 15 years ago, the ties between ASEAN and China have gone through three stages, namely the establishment of full dialogue framework in 1996, the establishment of friendly neighborhood and mutual trust in 1997 and the establishment of strategic partnership in 2003.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 9, 2006)