During these years, the relations have developed from conducting all-round dialogue to establishing partnership of good-neighborliness and mutual trust, he added.

Political mutual trust and economic transaction between the two sides have become stronger daily, and cooperation fruitful daily, he said.

In 2002, China and ASEAN signed three important documents on comprehensive economic cooperation, security cooperation and conduct in South China Sea to officially start negotiations on free trade area and reach common understanding in maintaining peace in the region, he said.

Last April, leaders of ASEAN and China held special meeting to combat SARS, he added, stressing all these show the benefit of mutual cooperation while contributing strategically to regional and world peace, stability and development.

He stressed that China is willing to work together with ASEAN to further cooperate in the political, economic and security areas.

Earlier, Li also made a courtesy call on Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen before attending the ASEAN+10 meeting.

ASEAN+China meeting (10+1) is part of ASEAN+10 (10+10) meeting, which was opened this morning with participation of foreign ministers of the 10 ASEAN members and its 10 dialogue partners.

The dialogue partners are Australia, Canada, China, the European Union, India, Japan, New Zealand, Russia, South Korea and the United States.

ASEAN members went to separate sessions with each of the dialoguers to examine specific issues existing between them in detail this afternoon.

(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2003)