Premier Wen Jiabao made a five-point proposal Sunday in Cubu to
upgrade the level of regional cooperation being carried out by
China, Japan, South Korea and 10 member countries of the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Addressing leaders of ASEAN, Japan and South Korea at the 10th
ASEAN plus three (10+3) summit in the resort Philippine city, Wen
said ASEAN and their partner countries of China, Japan and South
Korea should strengthen strategic planning first.
He said this year will be the 10th anniversary of 10+3
cooperation, and the 10+3 Summit at the end of the year will issue
the second Joint Statement on East Asia Cooperation, a key document
guiding future East Asia cooperation.
Wen said China will work closely with other countries to ensure
that the statement will provide long-term and strategic guidance
for future 10+3 cooperation.
Secondly, ASEAN and its partner countries should deepen
economic, trade and financial cooperation, he said.
Wen said ASEAN as one part, and China, Japan and South Korea as
another part should accelerate the process toward free trade
between them, as well as speed up the building of an Asian Bond
Market, facilitate the establishment of a regional investment and
credit guarantee mechanism, improve the financing and investment
environment in the region and enhance financial risk
management.
He said that in order to strengthen financial market in East
Asia and facilitate experience-sharing on developing bond market,
China will host a 10+3 symposium on corporate bond market this
year.
Wen suggested that ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea advance
security cooperation.
"Terrorism, trans-national crimes and severe natural disasters
are threats we all face. 10+3 cooperation should take bigger steps
in the security field. China proposes making full use of the
existing cooperation mechanisms to strengthen dialogue and
cooperation on major regional security issues," he said.
Wen said that to facilitate military exchanges in disaster
response and relief, China is ready to host a 10+3 workshop on the
participation of international disaster relief by armed forces this
year.
Wen also proposed that ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea
expand social and cultural cooperation.
"Poverty alleviation and women affairs are new areas for 10+3
cooperation. To share experience in poverty alleviation, promote
regional poverty alleviation cooperation and discuss ways of
enhancing women's role in promoting economic development and social
progress, China will hold this year a training course for officials
for poverty alleviation and another one on women affairs for 10+3
countries," he said.
Wen finally said ASEAN, China, Japan and South Korea should
increase cooperation in public health.
He said to strengthen cooperation in the prevention and control
of avian influenza and newly emerging communicable diseases, China
proposes that a regional disease monitoring network be set up to
enhance the capacity of East Asian countries to prevent and control
diseases and to respond to public health emergencies.
(Xinhua News Agency January 15, 2007)
