[By Jiao Haiyang/China.org.cn]

The spotlight fell on Asia-Pacific again Wednesday when Chinese Premier Li Keqiang started a Southeast Asia trip, in the wake of President Xi Jinping's just-concluded tour in the region.

Against the backdrop that the International Monetary Fund cut its growth forecast for developing countries, the dynamic cooperation in East Asia has become ever more important to people around the world.

China always supports the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' (ASEAN) leading role in regional cooperation. Meanwhile, due to a mutual need for security and development and its economic strength, the country is undoubtedly also an important leading force in East Asian cooperation with ASEAN as a geographical center.

On the economic front, China and some ASEAN members have not only competed with but also complemented each other.

Working together in broad areas ranging from trade, finance and infrastructure to culture, science and technology, China and ASEAN, as well as other East Asian nations, have continuously made headway in their cooperation.

Facing a sluggish recovery of the world economy, the continuous spillover from developed countries' tapering of monetary easing measures, and rising trade protectionism, cooperation in East Asia has come under great pressure and growth forecasts for China and some ASEAN members have also been cut by the IMF.

However, China and other East Asian nations can learn the lessons of history and turn the pressure into impetus.